New Hanover County leaders awarded the construction contract and allocated additional funds toward a new library branch in Northchase on Monday.

Once completed, the nearly 20,000-square-foot library will become New Hanover County’s fifth library branch. The new library will help move the library system toward its goal of providing library services within a five-mile radius of all residents, New Hanover County Senior Facilities Coordinator David King told the board of commissioners on Monday.

The library is proposed for a nearly three-acre undeveloped tract at 4400 Northchase Parkway NE, which property records show the county has owned since 1996.

Little Diversified Architecture, a Charlotte-based firm, completed design work on the project. The library will include a teen multi-media social room, a gaming area and a children’s storytime pavilion. The designs also aim to optimize the natural light, King said.

On April 3, New Hanover County put out a request for bids on the construction of the library. County leaders received qualified bids from six general contractors. Monteith Construction submitted the lowest bid with an estimate of $9.37 million, which was in line with the county’s forecasts throughout the project’s design phase, King said.

The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to approve awarding the library’s construction contract to Monteith. The board also adopted a budget amendment that adds $3.6 million to the project’s budget, bringing its total to $13 million.

That total budget includes approximately $95,000 for public art along with the cost of the library’s furniture, fixtures and equipment. The project will be funded with installment loan proceeds, according to King.