JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Ground was broken in a big way Monday for a new $95 million, three-story, 300,000 square foot main library downtown.

Mayor John Delaney broke ground not with a shovel, but with a bulldozer at the 11 a.m. ceremony -- covering up an old library card catalog with dirt. The mayor said it was symbolic of the new, high-tech facility to be built at Main and Monroe streets, near Hemming Plaza.

The library will have a grand lobby, a large reading room, and 250 computers available for public use.

Renderings Of New Main Library

"This is something that will help our downtown; and then the seven new libraries out in the neighborhoods -- it's all part of making growth go where you want it to go," Delaney said.

The facility, based on a design by New York architect Robert A.M. Stern that won a design competition last December, was favored by city leaders because its classic design was considered a good complement to City Hall.

The city told Channel 4's Jim Piggott that the new library will be completed in 2004.

Six New Branch Libraries In addition to the $55 million for the new downtown library, the Better Jacksonville Plan earmarks $150 million for renovation of existing libraries and construction of six new branches: Argyle East Regional West Regional Maxville South Mandarin University Park

"(I'm) not totally convinced it's going to happen until the first wall goes up," skeptic Martha Shirko said after the groundbreaking. "We can have a kick off ... until you pay the people that put up the walls, (money) can be diverted."

The downtown library is just one of an upgrade to the Jacksonville Public Library system being funded by Better Jacksonville Plan funds.

A complete renovation of San Marco's library is under way, and should be completed in April.

"We actually have 18 different projects going on right now in addition to the mail library," library director Ken Sivulich said. "It's designing the new branches, it's designing the additions to the existing branches, and renovations by the rest of them."

All of the upgrades to the library system are expected to be completed by January 2005.