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New Hanover County opens 19,941-square-foot Northchase Library, its fifth branch
Summary
New Hanover County officials, the architect and the contractor celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the Northchase Library, a 19,941-square-foot branch intended to serve the county’s fast-growing northern neighborhood; county leaders said it expands access to early literacy, study space and internet services.
New Hanover County officials and library leaders on stage at a ribbon-cutting ceremony formally opened the Northchase Library, a 19,941-square-foot branch the county says will serve the fast-growing northern part of the county.
Leanne Pierce, chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, said the branch is more than “books” and listed services residents can expect: early literacy programs, study rooms, internet access and a story-time pavilion for children. “This is the 5th branch in our system here in New Hanover County,” Pierce said, adding the building “is designed around the people who will use it.”
The opening marks another expansion of the New Hanover County Public Library system. County Commissioner Dane Scalise thanked staff and community members for their role in delivering the project and defended the continued relevance of public libraries. “Why did we build this library? Because of the people in this community who want a library, who need a library,” Scalise said.
William Stewart of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, the project’s design firm, described a design process driven by community input and said the team prioritized creating flexible spaces for learning, gathering and technology access. “Northchase Library represents an investment in people and the future of this community,” Stewart said.
Justin Whitley, project manager for Monteith Construction, said the building followed roughly 18 months of construction work and thanked county leaders and the construction team for their collaboration. “The Northchase library is much more than a beautiful new building,” Whitley said. “It’s a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather, learn, explore, connect and expand both their knowledge and imagination.”
Melanie Morgan, director of the New Hanover County Public Library, who now oversees five branches, thanked facilities and IT staff by name and said the branch will help expand the library system’s service outreach. “Public libraries are the cornerstone of a healthy and thriving community,” Morgan said.
Speakers at the ceremony repeatedly framed the project as a long-planned investment: county managers and commissioners noted that the Northchase branch, together with another recent opening downtown, represents multiple new library deliveries for residents in the past year. The program concluded with commissioners, staff and children invited to take their places for the ceremonial ribbon cutting to officially open the facility.
The ceremony did not include policy votes or formal board action; officials focused on the facility’s features, community benefits and gratitude to design and construction partners.
