Cleveland City Council on Monday approved a new agreement that extends Industrial Commercial Properties’ lease on the 2.2 million-square-foot building for another 49 years. However, the space will no longer host the exhibition events that have become staples for decades, such as the Cleveland Auto Show or the Great Big Home and Garden Show. Instead, a Fortune 500 company with 200+ jobs wants to rent the massive building, with an expected $23 million payroll.
The I-X Center, located adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, has served as one of the region’s premier exhibition facilities since 1985. The building includes over 1,000,000 square feet of exhibition and conference space, making it one of the largest meeting, convention, and exhibition centers in the United States.
Last November, Council President Blaine Griffin and Majority Leader Kenny McCormack introduced legislation to both extend the lease (which was originally due to expire in 2039) and end the center’s status as an event space.
The facility’s history dates back to 1942 when it served as a bomber plant during World War II. After many more years as a military tank plant, it was used for a number of purposes before being christened as the International Exposition Center in 1985.
The I-X Center was bought by the city when new runways for Hopkins were expected and planned, but the need vanished. The city obtained the facility through a 2001 land swap with Brook Park in exchange for much of the NASA Glenn Research Center.
The identity of the Fortune 500 company remains unknown. As part of Monday’s legislation, the city reserves the right to end the lease and take back the I-X Center after 10 years via eminent domain if it sees a need for expansion at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Major exhibitions like the Cleveland Auto Show and Great Big Home and Garden Show will need to find new venues, though their future locations remain uncertain.
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