National Sports

JSU stadium could derail downtown arena plans

Jackson State University’s recently announced plans to build a domed stadium could effectively kill an effort to build a downtown arena.

The city and other arena backers have spent or pledged $180,000 in recent years to study building an arena to host concerts, sporting events and other entertainment, The Clarion-Ledger reported.

The key factor in the city of Jackson supporting the university’s plans is that it would only have to pay $10 million toward the university stadium, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said. A feasibility study in January estimated that a 9,000-seat arena would cost the city $115 million. […]