RALEIGH, N.C.—The Raleigh Convention Center will begin the next phase of its recovery from a December 2025 fire, as crews install permanent cooling equipment and transition operations back to the facility’s main kitchen.
New cooling elements are scheduled to arrive March 25, replacing temporary systems used since the fire. A crane is expected to return to McDowell Street during the week of April 1 to lift the equipment onto the roof, with lane closures anticipated during that time.
The venue will also begin restoring its permanent kitchen, ending reliance on a mobile setup at Red Hat Amphitheater, which has served guests since January. The temporary kitchen, operated by Mobile Event Solutions, will be removed by the end of March.
Despite ongoing recovery work and concurrent construction projects across the convention center and performing arts complex, the facility has continued to host events, welcoming nearly 85,000 guests in the first quarter of 2026.
“This group of people is incredible, they have worked non-stop to deliver results and solve problems since the December 1 fire,” says Kerry Painter, executive director of Raleigh Convention Center. “And to not only get us back to a place where we’re having these huge events with tens of thousands of people, but to do that while our complex is getting bigger and better is a statement about what a tremendous team we have here.”
The convention center’s culinary partner, Sodexo Live!, served more than 89,000 meals and 100,000 desserts from the temporary kitchen during the recovery period.
The removal of the mobile kitchen will also allow Red Hat Amphitheater to prepare for its upcoming concert season, beginning April 14 with a performance by the band Bush.
The latest phase marks continued progress in a coordinated effort to fully restore operations for event planners, attendees, and the downtown Raleigh community.
