Race Track Proposed for Jacksonville

Plans for the first thoroughbred race track in north Florida have been submitted to the Jacksonville City Council by two Ocala developers.

The proposal for the $30-million sports center includes a four-month racing season with pari-mutuel wagering and year-round equestrian events and horse shows, said David F. Austin, one of the developers.

Tennis courts, retail stores and possibly a hotel also are part of the Duval Sports Center planned by Austin and Peter Tamburo on 167 acres near Cecil Field Naval Air Station on the west side of Jacksonville.

The nearest horse racing tracks are in Miami and Tampa. Another has been partially constructed in Ocala, but the future of that track is uncertain.

The plan calls for the building of a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track and a four-level grandstand that will seat 6,472 people. The sports center would employ about 430 people.