Raleigh Convention Center

[ChiefJoJo]

Bump... If you have a chance to take a look at the progress, it's really something. Seeing those HUGE steel trusses go up is really amazing. Each one supports the roof over the grand hall, and by my guess is about 120' long and 20' tall. Here's the webcam. They have also had I think 250k man hours with out an injury, which is really amazing.

[raleighfan]

That EarthCam is very cool. Especially the high-def one. I've probably been checking it once a week or so for the past few months... (my wife calls me a "dork" but I've just always been fascinated by the contruction process!). It's amazing how fast things seem to go when they get to this stage after all those months of pushing dirt.

[ChiefJoJo]

One more thing. I saw a city program on RTN 11 where the architect was interviewed and mentioned the city's decision to go with the CM-at risk process and to put the great hall below ground were going to really pay dividends. The CM-at-risk has actually saved millions in construction costs, and burying the great hall will make the bldg significantly more pedestrian friendly from the street level. Instead of seeing a vertical wall of concrete hiding the huge exhibition hall, people will see the glass atrium and other public spaces.

[DanRNC]

A major booking for the new convention center has already occurred.

Story

[avery]

That is really great news

It will be exciting to see all of the new conventions this area will get.

[Justin6882]

Too bad there aren't enough hotel rooms downtown for everyone to stay there. This puts an exclamation point on the fact that we need other *large* hotels downtown. If we're going to start getting large conventions, we need to have the rooms downtown.

[ChiefJoJo]

It sounds big, and yes it's impressive, but 600 delegates is not huge by any means for a conference. The Marriott by itself has 400 rooms, Lafayette has ~100 rooms, Sheraton, Reynolds, etc. I think we do need another hotel DT, but this raises a question--just how many ppl can the new RCC accomodate for conventions?

[Justin6882]

Well it does say that by 2009 (when it will be in Raleigh), there will be over 1,000 delegates. To be sure not every room in every hotel can be held for this one convention can it? I may be wrong...plus I'm thinking most people wont' be able to afford a weekend in the Lafayette - some, but not most.

[RALBOI]

I agree with you about the hotel's,I think the vision for the Marriott is so lackluster, that Hotel should aleast be 800 rooms instead of 400,but hopfully we will get some more big name Hotel's Downtown.

[ChiefJoJo]

I asked the question about capacity of the RCC because it baffles me that there aren't more hotels being proposed yet in the DT area. I guess Marriott and Reynolds will take the bulk of guests. I have to assume that the Sheraton and Clarion serve existing customers and can't be counted on for additional rooms for RCC events. Other proposals may be waiting on seeing established booking success for the RCC as events become available.

[Subway Scoundrel]

I asked the question about capacity of the RCC because it baffles me that there aren't more hotels being proposed yet in the DT area. I guess Marriott and Reynolds will take the bulk of guests. I have to assume that the Sheraton and Clarion serve existing customers and can't be counted on for additional rooms for RCC events. Other proposals may be waiting on seeing established booking success for the RCC as events become available.

Good question. I wonder how many people in the old CC were "walk-ups", or live in the area or drive for day trips compared the new RCC that could draw nicer or bigger conventions with more people staying overnight.

And how many people in either situation, would/did stay outside DT and drive in due to the nature of no mass transit and the general use of cars in the area.

[DanRNC]

Well it does say that by 2009 (when it will be in Raleigh), there will be over 1,000 delegates. To be sure not every room in every hotel can be held for this one convention can it? I may be wrong...plus I'm thinking most people wont' be able to afford a weekend in the Lafayette - some, but not most.

These will be delegates from 58 countries representing research parks/facilities around the world so I would imagine they would have some cash. They won't be run-of-the-mill conventioneers.

[Eastwestrob]

These will be delegates from 58 countries representing research parks/facilities around the world so I would imagine they would have some cash. They won't be run-of-the-mill conventioneers.

Very well stated...You don't travel out of the country on business to stay at a motel 6. I noticed that all other cities listed are very large and well known in the International community...Way to go Triangle

[ChiefJoJo]

Does Durham have a convention center? I wonder if the new RCC will by default get every medium-large convention/conference that wants to come to the Triangle?

[Justin6882]

These will be delegates from 58 countries representing research parks/facilities around the world so I would imagine they would have some cash. They won't be run-of-the-mill conventioneers.

Fine, but looking beyond this one convention - you have to see my point. What if we have a huge teachers convention or something similar. Not everyone is going to have the means to stay at the Lafayette.

[Transplant]

As the Raleigh Convention Center nears completion, I would expect other, independant, hotel options to come online.

[raleighfan]

I think there's no question that if the RCC attracts some of the larger conventions (tens of thousands of people) out there, which of course is it's whole purpose, then we will need a lot more hotel rooms downtown.

[Jones_]

This is a very high profile conference. Its a good thing there alot of other projects that will make downtown look nice by then such as RBC, Reynolds, Palladium Plaza, Blount Street, etc. Clarion and Sheraton count(ed) on conventions for a decent chunk of their business and with advance booking could easily count 25% of their rooms for something like this. There have been musings about turning the SWR back into a hotel....sounds like there will be plenty of demand.

[ChiefJoJo]

I found this from the RCC Steering Committee minutes:

Hotel location is key and a total of 600-1,000 rooms (at least 7-800) are needed either connected to or in very close walking distance of the convention center. The hotel issue could be the toughest to solve.

Lets say you need 800 rooms - 400 (Marriott) - 100 (Lafayette) - 60 (Reynolds) - 90 (1/4 of Sheraton's 355 rooms) = ~650 rooms available in 2009. So that still leaves some unmet demand out there for more hotels, especially when you consider there will already be growth and demand for other business and entertainment travelers (RBC, theater-goers, etc.).

[ncwebguy]

Durham has a civic center as part of the Marriot (formerly Omni) hotel. It is as big as larger hotel's meeting spaces -- Sheraton RTP bills itself as a convention center, North Raleigh Hilton, Embassy Suites off Harrison in Cary, etc.

At opening, the new RCC will (hopefully) have the Marriott, Lafayette, Sheraton (could spare a *lot* more than 90 rooms LOL), and Clarion, with Reynolds coming online later. Alternate nearby rooming options include bed and breakfasts (Oakwood Inn and the one near Peace and Blount), the Velvet Cloak, and Holiday Inn on Hillsborough Street. Cheaper options would include the Days Inn between north and southbound Capital Blvd., the Red Roof Inn just inside the beltline on South Saunders, and the sketchy places along Capital Blvd, South Wilmington, the hotel by the Sams Club on S. Saunders, and the hotels near the Captial/440 intersection.

I think another botique hotel like

The Standard but on a smaller scale could do well in/near Glenwood South, for convention goers, out of town Raleigh Memorial and RBC Center visitors, and weekend partiers. The people who own it already own Miami's Raleigh hotel. It seems like there is a decent amout of movement to return the Sir Walter back as a hotel when the current HUD contract runs out, but I doubt it could reopen by 2008.

[urbanvb]

Perhaps a good way to add more hotel rooms without saturating the immediate area is to build more mixed use hotel/residences.

[Transplant]

How many rooms does the Clarion have? Its a block further than the Reynolds' building.

Hopefully another major hotel comes in and has something built with another 400-500 rooms.

DT also will need more entertainment (ie. movies) for the visitors, but this should come as the # of residents rises.

[mikeinnc]

I am told the the Clarion has about 250 rooms. Based on my viewing of the floorplans and my observations at the actual building site, I would guess that the center could accomodate conventions of 4000, maybe 5000 people. And where are all those people going to stay? We need 3 or 4 more hotels within walking distance of the convention center. How about a Hyatt, a Four Seasons and an Omni?

[dombalis]

I went to the Charlotte Convention center's site, and it looks it'll have 350,000 sq. ft of exhibit space, and another 800,000-plus in other amenities. Is our new convention center only going to be half that size?

[Justin6882]

I believe ours is 500,000 sq ft.