The construction of the new Raleigh Convention Center is underway with the grand opening set for summer 2008.

According to Andrew Snyder, a junior in physics, the center will be a great resource for N.C. State students looking to go into the business world.

Scheduling is in progress, and plans are being made for a new “high-tech and laid-back, upscale Raleigh,” according to the center’s Web site, to be launched with the opening of the convention center.

The Web site states that the 500,000 square-foot building is designed to have 20 different rooms holding group sizes 50 to 5,000 people.

The Raleigh Convention Center will become an added centerpiece to an already busily populated downtown. It will bring more life to the artsy scene of Fayetteville Street, according to Doug Grissom, assistant director of the Raleigh Convention Center.

The convention center will be home to many different international, national, state and regional conferences along with a variety of trade shows.

“NCSU’s community will definitely benefit from trade shows,” Derek Medlin, a sophomore in history, said. “With a new and improved Raleigh Convention Center there will be more trade shows to engage the N.C State community.”

The increase in traffic through downtown Raleigh will make small downtown business more accessible, said Eddie Gallagher, a senior in business management. He added it will help bring more consumers in and boost Raleigh economy.

The Raleigh Convention Center will serve as an “economic engine, a city square — a source of pride,” Roger Krupa, director of the Raleigh Convention Center said at a press conference.

Mike Machovec, a senior in criminology, said he believes the amplified scheduling of the convention center will give students more diverse exposure to the business community.

“The convention center will bring more things to Raleigh, allowing students to branch out more,” Machovec said.

The Raleigh Convention Center will be accompanied by a new four-star Marriott hotel. The hotel will have an enclosed connection to the convention center and add an additional 15,000 square feet of meeting space, according to Krupa.

There have been many community donations to make this convention center possible. A grand total of $1 billion has been donated by public and private investors to help make the Raleigh Convention Center the best it can be, Mayor Charles Meeker said at the press conference.