Raleigh Convention Center nears full recovery four months after fire
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Four months after a fire broke out in an HVAC unit on the roof of the Raleigh Convention Center, repair work is continuing as the facility moves closer to a full recovery.
A crane is scheduled to install two new chillers on the roof on Wednesday evening, a key step in restoring the building after the December fire that caused millions of dollars in damage and forced the cancellation of several events that month.
Street delays are expected along McDowell Street as the work gets underway.
Despite the damage, convention center staff hosted multiple events in the months following the fire, even as repairs continued during what is typically the facility's busiest season.
"This is usually our busiest time, and we're thrilled by that. But it's been a double effort to make it happen," said Kerry Painter, executive director of the Raleigh Convention Center.
Painter said staff remained committed to keeping the facility operational where possible.
"We have been so determined and so resilient because we can't not do it. It's just important," she said.
The fire, which started Dec. 1 in an HVAC unit behind the shimmer wall, damaged portions of the roof as well as a kitchen inside the building. In response, staff canceled events in December and opened a temporary kitchen at the Red Hat Amphitheater. That temporary setup has since been removed.
In addition to the new chillers, work is also planned to address solar panels and the roof itself before the center is fully restored.
"Then we're down to the roof, and the roof covering is LEED certified, so it's not meant to be walked on. It punctures easily. So it's the very last step that goes up. And then we will be recovered fully," Painter said.
Local leaders say the convention center is a major economic driver for Raleigh and Wake County.
Data from Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau shows that in fiscal year 2025, the site had an economic impact of more than $89 million in Wake County and generated roughly $3.5 million in county tax revenue for each year.
"We did dodge a major catastrophe," said Loren Gold, executive vice president of Visit Raleigh.
Gold said that tax revenue supports other large-scale projects, including improvements underway near the convention center that are reshaping downtown Raleigh.
"If you make it a great place to visit, it becomes a great place to live, and a great place to live becomes a great place to work. A great place to work becomes a great place to invest. These are a part of those investments," Gold said.
With the installation of the new chillers, convention center officials say the facility is one step closer to returning to normal operations after a fire that could have had far greater impacts on both the building and the local economy.
