Major Gifts From Alumni Fund New Jesuit High Arts Center Now Under Construction

TAMPA, FL — Jesuit High School’s new Antinori Center for the Arts, which broke ground in September, has received another major gift. Jesuit just announced that The Bailey Family Foundation has donated $1 million toward the arts center.

In recognition of this transformational donation, Jesuit is dedicating the Bailey Family Music Wing in their honor. The 4,300-square-foot music wing will occupy the east side of the new 32,400-square-foot arts center.

For years, the Baileys – Kyle and Michele Bailey, their daughter Megan Bailey, and their sons Brandon Bailey, ’17, Justin Bailey, ’20, and Cam Bailey, ’23 – have been philanthropic leaders in the community.

They have advanced higher education through their support of numerous local charities via the Bailey Family Foundation, which was founded by Kyle’s father, Ron K. Bailey. Since 1997, The Bailey Family Foundation has awarded thousands of college scholarships to deserving students in the Tampa Bay area, with a remarkable $36 million distributed to date.

“The Bailey family has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to advancing educational opportunities within our community,” said Nick Suszynski ’98, Jesuit’s director of development. “Jesuit High School is truly honored they have chosen to partner with us at such a leadership level in this endeavor for the betterment of our current and future generations of Tiger students.”

The Bailey Family Foundation gift is the third of $1 million or more toward the new arts center.

The arts center is named in honor of Susan and Ron Antinori, ’60, who donated $2 million toward Phase II of the school’s Campus Master Plan in 2019.

The Antinoris have a long history of giving to Jesuit. In 2016, a computer lab was named in memory of Ron Antinori's parents, Paul and Rosa Antinori. Antinori is the founder and CEO of Antinori Software Inc. (later Carreker-Antinori, Inc.) In 2010 he founded Rapido!, a classical music composition competition, and he has served on the board of the Atlanta Opera and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Earlier this year, the Shembekar family – Dr. Anita Jain Shembekar and sons Jackson Shembekar, ’21, Preston Shembekar, ’22, and Colin Shembekar, ’25 – made a $1 million donation, and the Antinori Arts Center auditorium will be named in honor of the Shembekars.

Jesuit’s Campus Master Plan has been made possible by the school’s $50 million "For Greater Glory" campaign. Phase I of the master plan included the Chapel of the Holy Cross; Oliva Courtyard; a stately perimeter wall that gives Jesuit a collegiate presence; the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto; and Gonzmart Hall, a 32,000-square-foot administration building and dynamic and enduring presence along Himes Avenue.

The Antinori Arts Center is the centerpiece of Phase II of the master plan.

It was designed by Alfonso Architects, and construction will be completed in early 2023. The Beck Group is leading the construction effort.

The building will host music, theater and fine arts programs.

The auditorium in the arts center will be approximately 5,200 square feet and seat about 430.
The lobby will be more than 2,100 square feet, and the black box theater classroom 1,500 square
feet. The theater stage is more than 3,800 square feet.

Jesuit High School of Tampa is a private, all-male, Catholic high school rooted in the Jesuit tradition of education. Jesuit has been educating young men in the Tampa Bay area since 1899.