Harrelson Center opens annex, new event space

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center officially opened the Vicki Dull Annex and its new event venue, Plaza on Princess, with a ribbon cutting ceremony in downtown Wilmington Tuesday.

Renovations on the New Hanover County Law Enforcement Center’s former jail tower along with the redesign of the exterior courtyard at the corner of Market and Fourth streets began in November 2019. This doubles the capacity for the 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 said in a news release.

Dull was on hand for the ribbon cutting and spoke about how what was once a jail now is a place of hope and positivity for people trying to get on their feet.

“The whole atmosphere is so different and there’s so much love and so much support and so much outreach into our community, it’s just incredible,” she said. “There’s really not words and I’m so happy.”

Also on hand Tuesday was Major Lachlan MacNeish with the New Hanover County Sheriff Office. He worked at the location when it was a jail and is happy to see it transformed to a place for new opportunities.

“To be a center location for our homeless, people in need, domestic violence, where folks can be close to the courthouse and if they need services they can walk directly across the street,” he said. “So it’s a great addition to the community to go from not just law enforcement offices, where people are accustomed to going to where people are in trouble to a place of need.”

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