In 1925 local retailer Levy’s Department Store constructed a traditional brick building on the western two-fifths of this site. The pioneering department store ownership group, Allied Stores, acquired Levy’s in 1947 and in 1953 embarked on a dramatic remodeling of the existing building and a reinforced-concrete expansion on the rest of the block (with the two structural systems visible through ceiling grills). Levy and Kiley’s design reflects 1950s modernism, with the cantilevered canopy, projecting blade sign, and predominantly blank windowless upper stories that took advantage of artificial lighting and air-conditioning inside. Opening in 1954, the new store featured a “motorstair,” possibly the city’s first escalator. Levy’s operated here until it was merged in 1985 with Maas Brothers (also owned by Allied), which operated the store under the latter name until 1987, when it closed. SCAD acquired the building in 1996 and after extensive interior renovations and minor exterior modifications (mainly covering the original green tiles at the corners and adding the metal shades) opened it in 1999 as its main library, renamed in honor of college supporters Lancy and Jim Jen.