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
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 13, 2013
7 great places that represent excellence in environmental design
An adaptive reuse to create LEED Platinum offices, a park that honors veterans, and a grand national plaza are among the seven projects named winners of the 2013 Great Places Awards. The Environmental Design and Research Association recognize professional and scholarly excellence in environmental design, with special attention paid to the relationship between physical form and human activity or experience.
| Jun 12, 2013
5 building projects that put the 'team' in teamwork
The winners of the 2013 Building Team Awards show that great buildings cannot be built without the successful collaboration of the Building Team.
| Jun 11, 2013
Music/dance building supports sweet harmony [2013 Building Team Award winner]
A LEED Gold project enhances a busy Chicago neighborhood, meeting ambitious criteria for acoustical design and adaptability.
| Jun 7, 2013
First look: University of Utah's ‘teaching hospital for law’
The University of Utah broke ground on its cutting-edge College of Law building, which will facilitate new approaches to legal education based on more hands-on learning and skills training.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 28, 2013
Minneapolis transit hub will double as cultural center [slideshow]
The Building Team for the Interchange project in downtown Minneapolis is employing the principles of "open transit" design to create a station that is one part transit, one part cultural icon.