The Raleigh Convention Center will be a new building.  A significant portion of the existing will have to be demolished to make room for the new building and proposed hotel.  The site is difficult in that it is urban, sloped, bounded by important thoroughfares and rocky.  To maintain the traffic, the exhibit hall will have to be built below grade.  This places uncommon demands on the design of the MEP and fire protection systems.  The facility will have a 150,000 SF exhibit hall, a 32,000 SF ballroom, 30,000 SF of meeting rooms with administration, kitchen, concessions and retail.  The Owner is pursuing LEED silver status.  As of May 2004, the project is just beginning the schematic design phase. McCleskey Consulting's role is to consult to the engineers-of-record for mechanical, electrical and plumbing/fire protection design of the facility.