The Center of Potential

A six-person city staff occupies the former Jenkins Middle School, and leaders hope to soon see it come alive with community involvement.

The city of Palatka acquired the portion of Jenkins that includes the gymnasium in 2021, but the building is more than just a gym. Community Affairs Director Eddie Cutwright walked the former school’s halls Tuesday, pointing out the potential in each room that occupied the front portion of the former school.

“The city’s-slash-my vision is for this to be a community center for this area, almost like a one-stop shop,” Cutwright said. “We’re going to try to bring these to this community center that the area needs.”

A city visioning session will be hosted at the building, 100 N. 19th St., at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday about what they hope to see Palatka become in the next few decades.

With the multitude of rooms at the facility, there could be a computer lab, spots reserved as meeting rooms, a place to host community activities like bridge clubs or somewhere GED classes are taught, Cutwright said.

Cutwright wants to keep the gymnasium open only to sports. Just outside the basketball court doors are the soccer fields that will still be used during the Palatka Recreation League’s soccer season, which begins in February.

An outdoor basketball court is at another end of the school, and Cutwright said he hopes that could become a pickleball court.

“We have classrooms. We have offices. We have community multipurpose rooms,” he said. “It’s (not just) a gym. It’s a center. It’s going to be a community center.”

Cutwright welcomes any business leaders in the community who want to contribute to refurbishing the school. He also wouldn’t turn away volunteers.

The department needs people to help clean up the building, volunteer to run programs or take phone calls at the front desk, Cutwright said. Anyone who wants to help can call him at 386-983-1254.

Commissioner Justin Campbell already volunteered to help, despite the center having not opened yet. On Tuesday, Campbell said he coaches soccer for the city’s recreational league and could continue coaching.

He also volunteered to teach line dancing classes when the center officially opens.

“I’m hoping that it becomes a breath of fresh air,” Campbell said, adding that he wants the former middle school to be a resource-driven facility.

The city received an $800,000 grant and matched roughly $220,000 to put toward renovating the building, Cutwright said. City staff members are waiting for roof repairs in the gymnasium and air conditioning fixes before the center is opened, he added.

The building was used by the Putnam County School District from 1994 until the middle schools closed in 2020. The building dates back decades prior, however.

The Jenkins building used to be known as the Northside Neighborhood Facility Center and was a place for after-school recreational programs, educational assistance, events and summer jobs, with some events totaling upward of 400 children, city officials said in 2021.

Campbell said he would like the facility to be the catalyst for reinvigorating the north side of Palatka.

“I want it to return back to its glory,” Campbell said. “The north side facility was definitely a benefit back in the day. … I just want to see it returned to its glory and more.”