In addition to new furniture, floor and wall coverings and an upgrade to 21st-century technology, when Mayor Lenny Curry’s new office is finished, there will be more to learn at City Hall about local history.
The project, budgeted for at least $80,000, was originated by a lead gift to the Jacksonville Historical Society from Tom and Betty Petway, said society Executive Director Emily Lisska.
The couple, who supported Curry during his mayoral campaign, specified that the gift be used only to enhance City Hall in general, the mayor’s office space in particular, and the society’s ability to share Jacksonville’s story.
Once Curry was a candidate, Petway, members of his family and companies tied to them were substantial donors, giving more than $340,000 to the campaign.
City Chief General Counsel Jason Gabriel said the gift was fully reviewed and meets all protocols specified in the Ordinance Code.
“The gift was accepted on behalf of the city. It was not a gift to the individual,” he said.
The executive suite on the fourth floor is a popular stop when Lisska guides visitors on tours of the building.
“The mayor’s office is the highlight of the City Hall tour for most people. It’s where so much of Jacksonville’s history has happened – and where much of Jacksonville’s future history will occur,” Lisska said.
The society’s board of directors determined that the project met the guidelines that allow the organization to accept the gift and then provide it to the city for the project, including that the project is in a public space and it will include a historical component.
Similar gifts in the past have been used to help restore Historic St. Andrew’s, the society’s headquarters along A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, and historic site markers.
Without the gift, the carpet in the space would have been cleaned and a fresh coat of paint put on the walls, said Kerri Stewart, Curry’s chief of staff. Complete renovation would have been impossible.
“Given the city’s other capital and maintenance needs, we wouldn’t have been able to do it,” she said.
The educational element of the project is in development, but the concept behind it will be a new direction for the society.
Lisska said the installation will be “subtle but meaningful” and intended to make people think about Jacksonville’s past with an eye to the future.
“We’re planning a forward-thinking look at our history – a look at where we are going,” she said.
@drmaxdowntown
(904) 356-2466