Demolition begins on uptown Charlotte library. Here’s when to expect a new one

There were no implosions or wrecking balls, but local officials gathered in uptown Tuesday to celebrate the next step in bringing a new Main Library to Charlotte: demolition.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams and members of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners were among those who joined Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library staff and supporters to watch as demolition crews used heavy machinery to pull apart the old library’s roof bit by bit.

In its place at the corner of Sixth & North Tryon streets, a new Main Library will rise over the next three years — funded in part by millions in county money.

“While it’s sad to say goodbye” to the old facility, the new library has the potential to be “a great equalizer” and “regional destination,” said Adams, a Democrat whose 12th District covers parts of Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.

“It will nurture economic and personal growth,” she said.

Here’s what to know about the new Main Library coming to uptown and the demolition of the old structure:

What will the new Main Library include?

The new multi-story library will offer a variety of services.

An entire level will be dedicated to history and genealogy as the new home of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room.

The plan also calls for outdoor spaces, a cafe, a catering kitchen, a new resident welcome center and an “immersive theater area for live performances with digital integration.” Other planned event spaces include a classroom and “community living room for open, salon-style conversations.”

There will be a technology hub and digital visualization lab.

“We’re going to embrace technology and have it in full force here,”said library CEO and chief librarian Marcellus Turner.

And, he added, there will still be plenty of “traditional print resources and books and materials.”

“We have a large population who still uses that,” he said.

When will the new Charlotte library open?

The new Main Library is expected to open in spring 2026, Turner said Tuesday.

Construction on the new building is projected to begin this winter after the demolition process wraps up, he added.

Will construction close uptown roads?

There may be road closures “on certain days” during the demolition and construction process, Turner said, as crews move large equipment in and out of the site.

But they won’t be a daily occurrence, he added, and should only happen during daytime hours on weekdays.

How much will the new Main Library cost?

The new Main Library project will cost $137.3 million.

That includes $72.3 million from Mecklenburg County and $65 million raised by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s CommonSpark campaign.

The foundation is currently $18 million short of its fundraising goal, Turner said Tuesday. But that won’t affect the construction process, he said.

“We will hopefully get it done soon,” he said of the fundraising effort. “... We have so much of the money committed to it already.”

Donations to the project can be made online at foundation.cmlibrary.org.

Library alternatives during construction

Uptown-area residents don’t have to wait until the new library opens to take advantage of library services.

A temporary library is open at Founders Hall, 100 North Tryon St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. For more information on what’s available at the location, visit cmlibrary.org/locations/Founders-Hall.

Additionally, Turner announced at Tuesday’s event, the library is partnering with First United Presbyterian Church to create a “tech hub” for the community until the new library opens.

The hub is expected to open at the church, 406 N. College St., in September, Turner said.

For a full list of library locations and hours around Mecklenburg County, visit cmlibrary.org/locations.