For many years, the New Hanover County Main Library, housed in an old department store space, needed updates or replacement. An opportunity arose when New Hanover County decided to transform an entire block in downtown Wilmington and anchor it with cultural resources to spark curiosity, exploration, and learning for residents and visitors alike. The redevelopment of the block included a new, modern library and Cape Fear Museum facility on the north side (facing Grace Street, between Third and Second streets), building a downtown cultural hub.

ReThinking Libraries was hired by the New Hanover County Library in the Summer of 2021 to assist in the visioning and planning for a new main library building. At the time, the building was being developed by Zimmer Development Company (later the development company changed to Cape Fear Development Partners) and LS3P Architects had begun design on the building. The Library did not have the capacity or expertise to define the program and determine the vision for the space, so RTL was hired to assist them in the process. RTL conducted staff interviews, space needs assessment, collection analysis, and continually collaborated with the staff and the architectural team. The engagement included participation in development meetings, plan review and advisement, and providing general consulting on interior finishes, lighting, and FF&E.

The first challenge addressed was determining how to allocate the space within the building to allow the best access for all users and maximize the spaces for both the public and the staff. The size of the collection presented a particular challenge since the old building was much larger, had taller shelving and extensive storage space, making collection size less of a concern. An extensive weeding process was undertaken to right-size the collection for the new building.

The second opportunity was to create more space for children and teens. The children’s space in the old building had long been outgrown, and the teen space was nonexistent. The new plan had the Children’s Space located in the lower level, which was easily accessible from the lobby by ramp, stairs, or elevator. The area provided adequate space for early literacy, tweens, and general family gathering. A large program was also included and was designed for multi-purpose use. The Teens gained their own enclosed and dedicated space, on the upper level, that is large enough to be zoned for different social and study purposes.

The local history collection was a very important resource, much beloved by the community. The goals of the new space were to provide prominent positioning and a more accessible collection. Large glass storefront windows enclose the space on the second level, so there is plenty of transparency into the space. Compact shelving was added both in the main space and behind the scenes to allow plenty of storage for historic documents. Large tables allow plenty of room for accessing documents and conducting research. Staff spaces accommodate space for accessioning new items and maintaining the collection.

The adult space needed more comfortable seating to draw users in. Several different types of seating were included to meet the needs of different users and create numerous groupings throughout the space, including a computer bar located that overlooks the entry lobby. Shelving heights have been lowered to make the collection easier to reach and allow greater visibility and penetration of daylight throughout the space. Computers are located close to the reference desk so staff can easily assist if needed.

Several conference and study rooms were developed within the library space and are supplemented by the meeting rooms shared with the museum that are located in the lobby of the building. Upgraded technology has been added to the building, including new self-check machines on both floors and meeting room technology. Wireless printing is available throughout the building.

The final architectural design was done by LS3P. The overall building is 84,000 square feet, with the Library occupying 41,000 square feet. The overall project cost was $55.9 million. The project was financed through county borrowing. The building was completed, and the library portion of the building opened in October 2025. The museum is expected to open in the Summer of 2026.

Project completed under ReThinking Libraries and led by Rob Cullin and Janet Nelson.