Raleigh, Wake Leaders Discuss Design Ideas For Convention Center

Officials hope to come up with a way to fit in with Raleigh's downtown, yet stand out at the same time.

"On the one hand, you've got people saying, it needs to stand out and be a landmark," project manager Steve Schuster said. "On the other, you've got people saying, 'No, it needs to fit in and be quieter.' How do you blend those two?"

"It is our feeling that this convention center can be memorable to folks who visit our community and for the citizens who live here," Schuster said.

City leaders are trying to figure out a final design for the convention center.

"I hope it is something that will have a nice storefront on Salisbury Street that will have storefronts on Cabarrus and Lenoir streets you can walk up and go into, so it's a very approachable building," Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker said.

"[It should] really celebrate the uniqueness of Raleigh, Wake County and North Carolina," Schuster said.

Two public meetings will be held at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the issue. The meetings will be held at the current convention center.

A final design will be approved on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. in a joint meeting between the Raleigh City Council and county commissioners. The new convention center will be located in southwest downtown and it is scheduled to be complete in 2007.