The city of Raleigh, N.C., is ready to break ground on the $387.5 million expansion of its Raleigh Convention Center that will add 300,000 sf to the facility, bringing its total to 800,000 sf.
Scheduled for completion in 2028, the expansion will include 80,000 sf of flexible event space and 30 meeting rooms. It will also be the new home for the Red Hat Amphitheater, which is moving one block south from its current location into a 6,000-person capacity space. Red Hat's new digs should be ready by 2026.
Also see: Metros seeking far bigger convention center spaces
Raleigh is building a 550-key hotel across the street from the convention center. The city is developing this one-acre property with Preston Hollow Community Capital and Provident Resources Group. The hotel will operate under the Omni Hotels & Resorts banner, and include 55,000 sf of meeting space, several food and beverage outlets, a rooftop pool, and spa, and fitness center. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2027.
A joint venture consisting of Skanska, Clancy & Theys, and D.A. Everett is managing the construction of the convention center expansion, which was designed by TVS and RATIO Design. Cumming Group and Cate Services are the owner’s reps on this project.
A record boost in convention-related visitors
Raleigh Convention Center and Red Hat Amphitheater are part of The Complex, a group of convention and entertainment venues that also includes Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, and the Coastal Credit Union Music Part at Walnut Creek. Combined, these venues attract over 1.3 million visitors annually. Kerry Painter, The Complex’s Executive Manager, said in a prepared statement that the vision for the convention center expansion “is to create a space that can be something for everyone––welcoming, accessible, smart, and convenient.”
Chris Whitley, Jr., a vice president with Cumming Group, added that the expansion is addressing “the growing demand from our community for larger, more versatile event spaces.”
Last August, Wake County (N.C.) commissioners approved the funding for this project, using tax money from hotel stays and restaurant meals. Thirty-two million dollars of funding will pay for the relocation of Red Hat Amphitheater. Another $75 million in funding will go toward the hotel’s construction.
TVS, which is based in Atlanta, designed the existing convention center, and Skanska completed its construction in 2008. The convention center includes a 150,000-sf exhibit hall, 20 meeting rooms totaling 30,000 sf, and a 32,000-sf grand ballroom that can seat 2,400.
The city stated that it chose TVS and RATIO Design to design the expansion because of their international design experience, according to Exhibitor magazine’s website. Exhibitor also reported that fiscal 2023 was a record-breaking year for Raleigh Convention Center, which booked over 100,000 hotel room nights from convention-related business in conjunction with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Related Stories
Architects | Feb 11, 2015
Shortlist for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award announced
Copenhagen, Berlin, and Rotterdam are the cities where most of the shortlisted works have been built.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Architects look to ‘activate’ vacant block in San Diego with shipping container-based park
A team of alumni from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego has taken over a 28,500-sf empty city block in that metro to create what they hope will be a revenue-generating urban park.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 28, 2014
Robots, drones, and printed buildings: The promise of automated construction
Building Teams across the globe are employing advanced robotics to simplify what is inherently a complex, messy process—construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Oct 28, 2014
Miami accepts more modest plan to renovate its convention center
The city of Miami has awarded an $11 million contract for its on-again, off-again convention center renovation to Denver-based Fentress Architects, which will serve as the design criteria professional on this project.
| Oct 20, 2014
UK's best new building: Everyman Theatre wins RIBA Stirling Prize 2014
The new Everyman Theatre in Liverpool by Haworth Tompkins has won the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize 2014 for the best building of the year. Now in its 19th year, the RIBA Stirling Prize is the UK’s most prestigious architecture prize.
Sponsored | | Oct 19, 2014
The Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral dazzles visitors
With a mission to provide the experience of a lifetime, the Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral, Fla., is designed to inspire, as visitors learn about the history and nature of the port and beyond. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 19, 2014
White House Visitor Center reopens in Washington, D.C.
Designed by SmithGroupJJR and Gallagher & Associates, renovated center shows public its unique role as office, stage, museum, park, and home.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
