I-X Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids International Exposition Center |
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| Address | One I-X Center Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44135 |
| Coordinates | 41°23′55″N 81°51′11″W / 41.39850°N 81.85312°W |
| Owner | City of Cleveland |
| Operator | Park Corp. |
| Built | 1942 |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 2,200,000 square feet (200,000 m2) |
| Website | |
| http://www.ixcenter.com/ | |
The International Exposition Center, better known as the I-X Center, was a convention and exhibition hall located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The 2,200,000-square-foot (200,000 m2) building included over 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) total square feet of exhibition and conference space, making it one of the largest meeting, convention, and exhibition centers in the United States. The diverse show schedule included public events featuring one of the country's largest boat shows, trade shows, banquets and meetings attracting over 2 million visitors each year.
Originally located within Brook Park, Ohio, the building and 90 acres (36 ha) of neighboring land became part of Cleveland in a 2001 land swap that sent most of the NASA Glenn Research Center to Brook Park.
It was announced that the I-X Center would close in 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
History
It was built in 1942 as a General Motors-operated factory and was used to build bombers during World War II as the Cleveland Bomber Plant. For a time, it built the wing assembly for the B-29 Superfortress, then the experimental XP-75.
It later served for many years as a tank factory. The M41 Walker Bulldog, M56 Scorpion, M114, the MOG Howitzer, and the M551 Sheridan were built at the facility. Former employees of the tank plant reported that there were at least two, maybe three basement levels. One basement had a large pool in it for testing water-tightness of production tanks.
It was vacant from 1970 to 1977, when it was purchased by Park Corp. with the intention of converting it into an exhibition hall. It re-opened in 1985 as the I-X Center. The Park Corp. sold the building to the City of Cleveland in 2001, but still leased and operated it.
In 1990, the I-X Center was used as a temporary home for North Olmsted High School. On September 16, 1990, two students had set fire to the front of the high school, causing significant damage.
A 2008 expansion added 185,000 square feet (17,200 m2) of exhibition space, increasing the exhibition floor to 985,000 square feet (91,500 m2). The entire ceiling was repainted for the first time since 1984, using 27,000 gallons of paint.
On May 3–4, 2014, the I-X Center hosted the first Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan Fest, which featured appearances by 100 NFL Hall of Famers including Jim Brown, Joe Namath, Barry Sanders, Lynn Swann, Marshall Faulk, Franco Harris, Warren Sapp and Terry Bradshaw. The successful campaign to bring the event to the I-X Center was spearheaded by Cleveland native Tony Gumina. The Center also hosted the National Sports Collectors Convention seven times.
In mid-September 2020 was announced by the I-X Center Corporation announced that at the end of 2020 the facility would be closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic after over 35 years of service. Gojo Industries has leased a portion for inventory storage.
Ferris wheel
The building's 125-foot (38 m) tall Ferris wheel was a centerpiece of the annual IX Indoor Amusement Park. It premiered at the 1992 Greater Cleveland Auto Show, at which time it was the world's tallest indoor Ferris wheel. The top of the wheel was enclosed in a glass atrium and rose approximately 35 feet (11 m) above the main roof. It usually did not operate during trade shows.
