See what the Raleigh Convention Center expansion will look like
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Raleigh Convention Center will add 298,100 square feet, expanding to 798,100 square feet.
- Architects RATIO | TVS used community feedback to design flexible event and meeting space.
- Expansion pairs with a new, 600-room Omni Hotel and relocated Red Hat Amphitheater.
The Raleigh Convention Center is growing by nearly 300,000 square feet, and renderings showing what the facility will look like have just been released.
The 298,100-square-foot expansion, including flexible event space and additional meeting rooms, will bring the convention center’s footprint to 798,100 square feet, allowing it to host more events and visitors.
Designed by architectural firms RATIO Design and Atlanta-based TVS, the plans were created with community feedback and reflect residents’ priorities, while factoring in the needs of meeting planners, according to a news release.
“We’re grateful to all the residents of Raleigh who were engaged in the process, who care about this space that serves as a critical community touchpoint to all the visitors we welcome every year,” Kerry Painter, executive director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, said in the news release.
The expansion of the convention center is just one project planned for the area. For example, a new, 600-room Omni Hotel will help facilitate the increased business anticipated for the convention center.
In fiscal year 2023, the convention center rented space to 154 events, booking almost 90% of sellable dates, The News & Observer previously reported.
“This state-of-the-art convention center expansion is a transformative investment in the future of downtown Raleigh,” Dennis Edwards, president and CEO of Visit Raleigh, said in the news release. “It will bring thousands of new visitors, driving more restaurant reservations, hotel stays, and traffic to local businesses. This facility strengthens Raleigh’s position as a vibrant, nationally competitive destination for meetings, events, and tourism.”
But the expansion project has not been without its critics. To make way for more convention center space, Red Hat Amphitheater is being relocated. That required closing a block of South Street between Dawson and McDowell streets, which the Raleigh City Council approved unanimously, despite opposition from some downtown residents.
Tourism money is funding the convention center expansion and relocation of Red Hat Amphitheater.
Renderings of the Raleigh Convention Center expansion
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM with the headline "See what the Raleigh Convention Center expansion will look like."
