The Raleigh Convention Center is expected to receive its Certificate of Occupancy on Wednesday or Thursday, setting the stage for events to return following a fire there last month.
The blaze broke out on Dec. 1 and caused an estimated $2 million in damage, according to Raleigh Fire Chief Herbert Griffin.
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According to Raleigh authorities, the fire was caused by a mechanical failure in the cooling area of the HVAC unit.
Kerry Painter, the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex executive director, said 34 of the 35 events booked from January through March will go on as planned. She said the city was able to retain $4 million in booked revenue, and saved 28,000 hotel room bookings.
One event cancelled its contract, due to the uncertainty surrounding when the convention center would reopen.
The fire caused six events to be postponed or relocated. Animate! Raleigh was originally planned for this weekend, but has been postponed to March.
City documents show the city had spent more than $1.1 million on repairs through Jan. 2. More than a dozen additional recovery projects are still needed, including installing a new roof, Painter told city council.
She said a temporary patch was applied to the roof, and a crane will be placed on McDowell Street sometime in January to remove damaged equipment from the roof and install temporary equipment.
The Raleigh City Council approved a temporary policy giving the city manager the authority to enter into contracts related to the convention center project through June 30, 2026.
A date has not been set for when construction will be complete.