Sporting JAX Announces New President of Development Company
GSL Sporting Club Jacksonville

Sporting JAX Announces New President of Development Company

Published on February 24, 2026 under Gainbridge Super League (GSL)
Sporting Club Jacksonville News Release


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Today, Sporting Club Jacksonville (Sporting JAX) announced that Michael McNaughton, a nationally recognized real estate executive with more than 30 years of experience in large-scale development, mixed-use placemaking, and complex real estate operations, has been named President of the Sporting JAX Development Company.

In this role, McNaughton will oversee all real estate, master-planning, and development initiatives tied to Sporting JAX's long-term vision, guiding the creation of a purpose-built, community-centered sporting district that will serve as the permanent home for both the Sporting JAX men's and women's teams. His leadership marks a decisive step toward securing the club's long-term future in Jacksonville and anchoring professional soccer in North Florida for generations to come.

"Innovation starts with top-tier talent," said Ricky Caplin, Chairman of Sporting JAX. "Michael McNaughton has led some of the most ambitious and iconic development projects in the country, playing a key role in shaping destinations like the Palazzo, Mizner Park and the new World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Michael bringing that level of vision and experience to North Florida is a game-changer. We are thrilled to have a leader of Michael's caliber guiding this effort. His leadership ensures this vision becomes a permanent home for Sporting JAX and a community-centered sporting district that delivers lasting economic and social value for the city."

"I couldn't be more excited about what we're building in Jacksonville," said Michael McNaughton, President of the Sporting JAX Development Company. "Sporting JAX is committed to investing in North Florida and creating a place that brings people together, reflects the energy of our city, and delivers lasting value for the community. Sporting JAX has a unique opportunity to create something truly groundbreaking and altogether new. I am honored to help lead that effort."

McNaughton is the founder of M2 Real Estate Advisors and brings decades of executive-level experience across virtually every real estate asset class. His background includes leadership roles in street retail, mall and mixed-use redevelopment, office, hospitality, multifamily, infrastructure, industrial and flex space, and major transportation-integrated projects.

He also brings more than three decades of executive leadership at some of the most influential real estate organizations in the country. McNaughton previously served as Executive Vice President and COO of a major Jacksonville-based family office overseeing more than five million square feet of assets, where he drove strategic acquisitions, dispositions, and new development across the Southeast and grew the 70-year-old enterprise's EBITDA by more than 30 percent.

Before relocating to Florida, McNaughton was Senior Vice President of U.S. Development for Westfield, where he led major national initiatives and played a key role in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center and the Fulton Transit Center in Lower Manhattan.

He also served as Founder and COO of Rouse Properties (NYSE: RSE), guiding the company from concept through IPO and building a 250-employee national platform with 31 assets totaling more than 21 million square feet. Earlier in his career, McNaughton held senior asset management and development roles at General Growth Properties, overseeing a 200-million-square-foot portfolio and serving on the four-person roadshow team that executed a $2.6 billion recapitalization of the company.

Throughout his career, McNaughton has partnered with public and private equity markets, participated in two NYSE IPOs, led complex restructurings and recapitalizations, and advised on globally significant destinations, including the World Trade Center redevelopment.

As Sporting JAX advances its stadium plan and surrounding mixed-use vision, McNaughton will lead development strategy for a broader, community-centered sporting district that integrates entertainment, dining, family-friendly amenities, public spaces, and year-round programming. The district will be designed for inclusive community use, positioning sport as a catalyst for innovation, access, and long-term social and economic benefit for Northeast Florida.

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