NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Following a 1 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, July 9, the new Northchase Library at 4400 Northchase Parkway W in Wilmington will officially open to the public. The 19,941-square-foot branch is the fifth in the New Hanover County Public Library system and the first built to serve the fast-growing northern part of the county. 

Community members are welcome to join the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, county staff, and the project's design and construction team for the ribbon-cutting to celebrate the moment. The event will feature brief remarks before the public is invited to explore the new facility, which includes a teen multimedia and gaming social room, a children's story time pavilion, study rooms, a tween area, a drive-up book drop, and shelving for approximately 50,000 books and materials. 

The library was designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and built by Monteith Construction. Northchase is the county's second new library to open in less than a year, following the new Main Library in the downtown Grace District in October 2025. 

"A library is one of the most welcoming spaces a community has, open to everyone, with something for every age," said Melanie Morgan, director of the New Hanover County Public Library. "We can't wait to welcome the Northchase community in and show them everything their new library has to offer." 

Following Thursday's ceremony, the library will begin operating during regular business hours. A full rundown of the schedule is available at Library.NHCgov.com.