"We definitely saw a downtick from previous years where it was open," said Lelia Kidd.
All events were canceled in December due to a massive fire, but they are starting to resume in January.
"We need everything to come back, that's what keeps Fayetteville Street alive," said Carey Kidd.
Raleigh Convention Center leaders are expecting to receive the occupancy permit on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.
The Raleigh City Council signed off on a measure to help speed up the repair process.
The City Manager's authority has been expanded to approve repairs.
A mobile kitchen is being installed as a temporary fix for January events and on Friday, January 13, a crew will start removing damage left behind from the massive fire.
"We need a crane to sit on McDowell (Street) that will take all the equipment that's damaged off the roof and down and then put up temporary equipment," said Raleigh Convention Center Executive Director Kerry Painter.
Painter says the Convention Center says it was able to keep all but one event for January, which means officials were able to save about $4 million in booked revenue and 28,0000 hotel stays.
Where things stand
The Raleigh City Council heard an update on recovery efforts when it comes to the convention center fire that cancelled numerous events.
The fire, which started in an HVAC unit on the roof of the building in the beginning of December, sent smoke and flames into the air.
The Rink at the Red Hat Amphitheater closed early for the season to be used for a mobile kitchen to serve the convention center during its recovery.
According to paperwork that will be presented to the council, almost a million dollars has already been sent on getting the convention center back open.
A targeted reopening date is scheduled for this month.
The recovery work is expected to be fully covered by the city's insurance policy, with the city having to pay a $100,000 deductible.
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