An Atlanta-based company, which has also worked on the Javits Center expansion in New York City, is helping to design the space, which has a $387.5 million budget.
"I think it'll be good," North Raleigh resident Nick Parsheoon said.
The City of Raleigh released three renderings showing different possible designs for the space.
All of the options include more convention space, pedestrian bridges over South McDowell Street, and a large terrace to view the skyline.
The expansion is going to cause a new building to go up next to Raleigh's iconic shimmer wall. That means the shimmer wall will no longer be visible from the road, but pedestrians can see it from a sidewalk.
Red Hat Amphitheater is moving to make way for the added space and that too will get a new look.
Tourism leaders said a bigger convention center will attract more events.
"These are groups that want to come to Raleigh. We simply cannot accommodate their needs, so we lost a lot of business on that front," said GRCVB President and CEO Denny Edwards.
An Omni Hotel is going up in a parking lot at the end of Fayetteville Street.
Max Houseworth is the General Manager of the Residence Inn.
The hotel and its rooftop bar are located in between the convention center and where the Omni is going.
"We don't view it as a threat at all. We just view it as somebody else's coming in to be part of the party," said Houseworth.
He said all downtown businesses will benefit from the coming changes.
"I think the convention center is the cornerstone of what the what we're trying to do downtown," said Houseworth. "This is going to be so much of a push to get groups that we haven't been able to get in the past."