Longboat library project inches closer to funding goal as deadline nears

The fundraising deadline for the $3.5 million enhancements to the Longboat Key library project is almost here. 

The town of Longboat Key is less than a month away from its meeting with Sarasota County about the library and community hub project, and the town is at about 82% of the way to the $3.5 million goal. 

“It’s going well,” Town Manager Howard Tipton said about the fundraising campaign. “We just had some meetings last week with potential donors.” 

Tipton shared the town is close to $2.9 million in funds raised for the potential enhancements to Sarasota County’s library project on the Town Center Green.

The town’s meeting with Sarasota County will be on June 4, and Tipton said he and his team will continue to meet with prospective donors until that time in hopes they can raise the remaining $600,000.

With the $3.5 million, the county could add a community hall space and terrace to the core library. 

Sarasota County committed to funding the core library for $11 million. After the library opens in 2027, the county will continue to invest about $1 million per year in operating costs. 

Having Sarasota County on board to build the core structure allowed the town to tailor the space to Longboat’s community, hence the enhancements. 

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One enhancement is a larger meeting space that could hold about 200 people, and was one of the largest requests made by community members when the county held public workshops in February 2024. 

The other enhancement is a terrace for outdoor gathering space to help connect the library to the Town Center Green and Karon Family Pavilion. 

One of the project's supporters is Jeff Lenobel, who is no stranger to the Longboat Key community. 

Lenobel’s family came to Longboat Key in 1969 when his father, Hal, purchased an apartment in Longboat Harbour. Then, Lenobel himself moved to Longboat in 1973 for a short stint after college. Lenobel visited the island frequently until moving in 2009. 

“I don’t think we’ve missed a year in 52 years. We’ve watched Longboat Key grow,” Lenobel said.

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Hal Lenobel, who died in 2015, served on the commission for almost 13 years, until 2008, and spent many of those years as Longboat Key’s mayor. 

But Jeff Lenobel was a skeptic turned supporter of the library project. In January, Lenobel met with Tipton, Susan Phillips and Renee DiPilato, director of libraries and historical resources for Sarasota County. 

After the meeting, Lenobel realized this project gave the town an opportunity to bring to life a community space that he felt the community had desired for decades. 

“People have talked about a community center for decades and now it’s coming to fruition,” Lenobel said. “It’s about connection with our neighbors and connection with ideas and the community.”

With his community ties, Lenobel said he sees the project's benefit to the community by being a hub for social life and a lifeline to lifelong learning. 

“We’re missing something essential: A central gathering place,” Lenobel said. “We don’t have a hub for learning, a hub for connection, for wellness and civic life.”

Lenobel feels lifelong learning through lectures, guest speakers, historical resources and other library resources can improve the quality of life for many of Longboat’s retirees. 

“Retirement doesn’t mean slowing down, it means pursuing passions, expanding our minds and staying socially connected,” Lenobel said. “And this community center, in my view, would provide exactly that.”

Two other supporters are Linda and Bill Mitchell, Longboat Key residents who contributed $250,000 to the project. 

Photo by Janet Combs

The Mitchells moved to Longboat Key in 2019, and Linda Mitchell said donating to a space to support community togetherness was a no brainer.

“Any time we can encourage lifelong learning that’s best served through a robust library that can meet all different people’s levels of interest and needs, it’s a plus for any community,” Mitchell said.

One of Mitchell’s previous careers was as an elementary school teacher, where she first developed her long-standing fondness for libraries and the impact they can have. 

In a modern society with increasing ways of people isolating themselves, Mitchell said having a space like this is crucial for residents to mingle and interact through lifelong learning. 

“It’s a healthy thing and a positive thing for the community,” Mitchell said.