Plans for Michael Jordan Family Museum in downtown Wilmington shelved

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WNCN) — Plans to build a museum dedicated to basketball’s biggest star in his North Carolina hometown are no longer moving forward.

In December, officials from New Hanover County — home to Wilmington, where Michael Jordan grew up and played basketball at Laney High School — announced they were in talks with Jordan’s family to begin planning a potential museum honoring the University of North Carolina and Chicago Bulls star.

County Manager Chris Coudriet and Jordan’s mother, Deloris P. Jordan, signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 4, 2023 that outlined what could be included in The Michael Jordan Family Museum, such as items and artifacts contributed by the family.

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But the document also made clear that nothing was set in stone, stating it was “only an expression of mutual interest and not a binding agreement.”

Last week, New Hanover County said the plans had been shelved for now.

“The conversations during this due diligence and discovery phase have been collaborative and productive, but the family has decided not to pursue a Michael Jordan Family Museum at this time,” New Hanover County said in a release. “While this museum is not moving forward, the county looks forward to its continued partnership with the Jordan family to display memorabilia from Michael Jordan’s life and career in the Cape Fear Museum and appreciates their continued support of our community.”

The Michael Jordan Family Museum would have been created in conjunction with the Cape Fear Museum, which has had a relationship with the Jordan family since the 1980s, occasionally showcasing exhibits honoring the basketball icon.

It would have been built as part of Project Grace, a redevelopment project that will turn an entire block of county-owned properties in downtown Wilmington into a new central library and Cape Fear Museum facility. The 3-acre block is bordered by Grace, Third, Chestnut and Second streets, with the Jordan museum previously proposed for the corner of Chestnut and Third.

New Hanover County said no county funds had been expended during the exploration of the potential museum, and the change in direction does not affect the existing development plans for Project Grace.

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