FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Harrelson Center Officially Opens the Vicki Dull Annex and New Event Venue, Plaza on Princess
Wilmington’s non-profit campus hosts ribbon cutting, open house August 10, 1:00 PM
Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center, Inc. officially opened the Vicki Dull Annex and its new event venue, Plaza on Princess, at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, August 10 at 1:00 PM. The event marked the completed renovations to what had been the New Hanover County Law Enforcement Center’s jail tower, nearly doubling the capacity of Wilmington’s humanitarian non-profit campus. The three-story tower, named the Vicki Dull Annex for the second executive director of The Harrelson Center and reflective of a major gift, includes two floors for non-profit office suites, shared restrooms and meeting space, and a courtyard-level event space, Plaza on Princess, for up to 300 people. The Harrelson Center hosted the ribbon cutting on what would have been Jo Ann Carter Harrelson’s 84th birthday with members of her family, Wilmington Mayor Saffo, non-profit leaders, downtown boosters and members of Wilmington’s law enforcement community with memories from years when the building served as a jail. Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center is located on 4th Street, between Market and Princess streets in downtown Wilmington.
“This is a significant milestone for Wilmington as The Harrelson Center represents our collective capacity to meet humanitarian needs and build the resilient, responsive network of non-profit organizations on which our community relies,” said Meade Van Pelt, executive director of The Harrelson Center.
Construction Timeline and Cost
Renovations to the jail tower began in November 2019 along with redesign of the exterior courtyard at the corner of Market and Fourth Streets. The full scope of construction included:
- Up to 14,000 square feet made ready for custom upfit as non-profit office suites
- Shared restrooms and meeting space in the former jail cell tower, now the Vicki Dull Annex
- Renovations to two ramps connecting the Vicki Dull Annex to the existing campus
- A new elevator and stairwell, roof and HVAC systems for the Vicki Dull Annex
- Installation of a sculpture and garden in the courtyard on Market Street, which will be complete in September 2021
- A courtyard-level event space, Plaza on Princess, with a warming kitchen that accommodates up to 300 people, creating a public event space and a venue for revenue-generating activities to support The Harrelson Center and its nonprofit partners.
Cost of construction for this second and final phase of renovations to the law enforcement center is $3.5M. The first phase, completed in 2015, cost $1.5M. Only $1.2M remains to be raised to complete The Harrelson Center’s $5M Unlock Hope capital campaign. The Harrelson Center secured a loan of $1.8M for this second phase of construction which included more than $500K for non-profit office upfits: $268K has been aside as a $20 per sq foot non-profit partner allowance and $250K as a loan for custom suite upfits. For this second phase of construction, Bruce Bowman, of BMH Architects, PC, was the architect; McKinley Building Corporation was the general contractor.
The Harrelson Center has occupied the former New Hanover County law enforcement center since 2005, after the jail was relocated at the end of 2004 and FBC Holdings (First Baptist Church) purchased the downtown property and building, with a gift from Bobby Harrelson in memory of his late wife Jo Ann Carter Harrelson. “Jo Ann’s memory and her deliberate compassion for others is beautifully served on this humanitarian campus where needs are met, dreams are fostered and hope abounds,” said Mr. Harrelson.