Sporting Club Jacksonville announced Feb. 24 that Michael McNaughton, a 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 Sporting JAX Development Co.
“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,” Ricky Caplin, chairman of Sporting JAX, said in a news release.
McNaughton will oversee real estate, master-planning and development initiatives tied to Sporting JAX’s long-term professional soccer vision, guiding the creation of a sporting district that will serve as the permanent home for both the Sporting JAX men’s and women’s teams, the release said.
Ricky Caplin, the majority owner of Sporting Club Jacksonville.
Special to the Daily Record
It said Sporting JAX plans to develop a 15,000-capacity community stadium and training facilities. It now plays its home games at Hodges Stadium on the University of North Florida campus.
Sporting JAX said as it 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.
“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,” McNaughton said in the release.
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.
McNaughton is the founder of M2 Real Estate Advisors in Ponte Vedra Beach. Before that, he was the chief operating officer of a Jacksonville-based Sleiman Enterprises.
Before relocating to Florida, McNaughton was senior vice president of U.S. Development for Westfield, where he led initiatives including the redevelopment of the World Trade Center and the Fulton Transit Center in Lower Manhattan.
He also was founder and COO of Rouse Properties, guiding the company from concept through IPO and building a 250-employee national platform with 31 assets totaling more than 21 million square feet.
Sporting JAX soccer players celebrate during a match Dec. 13, 2025. From left, they are Sophia Boman, Georgia Brown, Ashlyn Puerta and Jade Pennock.
Sporting Jax
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 team that executed a $2.6 billion recapitalization of the company.
Sporing JAX was established in 2020 by a group of Jacksonville-based owners that said it was driven by a vision to elevate the area’s soccer scene and “Lift Every Voice,” the club’s motto.
It launched its women’s professional Gainbridge Super League club in 2024 and will debut its men’s professional USL Championship club in 2026.
The Daily Record reported in January that McNaughton and M2 Real Estate Advisors is a project partner in a proposed motorsports park in Nassau County.
North Florida Motorsports Park would feature a racetrack designed by Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indy 500 winner and International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee.
Rahal is a partner in the proposed project, which includes trackside residences, a kart track, garage facilities and a private membership club.
The 600-acre project is off Interstate 95 and County Road 108 near the Florida-Georgia border.