The donation honors the chain's founder, continuing the Jenkins legacy of helping Largo's libraries.
By LORRI HELFAND
Published March 17, 2004
LARGO - The Jenkins family legacy will live on in the new Largo Library in more ways than one.
Tuesday, Publix Super Markets Charities pledged $50,000 to the library's new career center in memory of George W. Jenkins, who founded the Publix supermarket chain 74 years ago in Winter Haven.
The new library's career center may carry the charity's name and its community wing will be named in honor of the Jenkins family, which has donated $200,000 for the library.
"We're halfway through the capital campaign, and we very much appreciate Publix's contribution to the community," said Keith Bailey, the library's capital campaign chair.
So far, the $21-million library has pulled in about $1.3-million in community pledges, almost 70 percent of its goal of $1.9-million.
"We're right where we should be," said Michele D'Avico, Largo Library development specialist.
Besides contributing to the library's future, the Jenkins family also is responsible for the library's past and present.
The first Largo Library was opened in 1916 by the Largo Women's Club, and occupied a room in Town Hall. The groundbreaking for another Largo Library was held December 1961. And thirty years ago, George Jenkins' brother, local banker John Jenkins, donated almost five acres of land to the city with the stipulation that it be used for a library. Two years later, the library was built on that site, and today, the Jenkins Assembly Room carries his name.
John Jenkins' daughter, Kay Jenkins Davison, has been named honorary chairwoman for the capital campaign. "I am so glad Publix is taking an interest, too," Davison said. "It's going to be a lovely library."
In September, the two-story, 90,300-square-foot, state of the art facility broke ground next to Largo Central Park, and its debut is set for summer 2005.
Meanwhile, crews have finished block wall construction for the first floor of the building. And they've been placing steel reinforcement and forming the concrete entry tower.
D'Avico said library supporters are planning a celebration at the end of April, when they expect some concrete foundation work to be done.
The first floor of the new library will house a cafe and art gallery, an adult section, with a quiet reading room, computer lab, study rooms, periodicals and an audio-visual collection. The children's area will feature program rooms, a computer center and a parent-toddler pavilion.
The second floor will feature the career center and business center, the genealogy center, a local history conference room, a reading room and study rooms. Teens will have a center all their own, with tables where students will be able to work on school projects together, or read magazines and books.
In addition to $1.9-million in private donations, Largo's original financing plan included $18-million from Penny for Pinellas sales tax coffers and $1-million in grants.
The city has collected more than $1-million in grants, including a controversial state grant pulled in by former City Commissioner and Secretary of State Sandra Mortham.
City leaders had to fight for the new library even though many patrons agreed the current library had outgrown its 36,000-square-foot digs.
Many people didn't like the price tag. Some called for a referendum or thought hiring a lobbyist was a big mistake.
"It was a big hurdle," but the charity's current generosity has helped bring library supporters over it, Mayor Bob Jackson said. "It's a tremendous boost to our fundraising."
