| International Exposition Center | |
|---|---|
| Address | One I-X Center Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44135 |
| Owner | City of Cleveland[1] |
| Operator | Park Corp.[2] |
| Built | 1942 |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Enclosed space | |
| Total space | 2,200,000 square feet (200,000 m2) |
| Website | http://www.ixcenter.com/ |
The International Exposition Center, also known as the I-X Center, is a convention and exhibition hall located in Cleveland, Ohio,[2] adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The 2,200,000-square-foot (200,000 m2) building includes over 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) total square feet of exhibition and conference space,[3] making it one of the largest meeting, convention, and exhibition centers in the United States. The diverse show schedule includes public events featuring one of the country's largest boat shows, Trade Show 200 events, banquets and meetings attracting over 2 million visitors each year.
Originally located within Brook Park, Ohio,[4] 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.[5]
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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, then the experimental XP-75.[2]
It later served for many years as a tank factory.[4] The M41 Walker Bulldog, M56 Scorpion, M114, the MOG Howitzer, and the M551 Sheridan were built at the facility.[2] Former employees of the tank plant reported that there were at least two, maybe three basement levels, of course now they are classified. One basement had a large pool in it for testing water-tightness of production tanks. Current security personnel agree there is more than the one basement level to the building, but will not confirm exactly how many.
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 continues to lease and operate it.[2]
In 1990, the I-X Center was used as a temporary high school for North Olmsted High School. On September 16, 1990, two students burned down the front of the high school, causing significant damage.
The building's 125-foot (38 m) high ferris wheel premiered at the 1992 Greater Cleveland Auto Show. At the time it was the world's highest indoor ferris wheel.[6] Today it is a centerpiece of the annual IX Indoor Amusement Park.[7]
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.[3]