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Plan to reopen Cleveland’s I-X Center announced: What we know so far

Industrial Realty Group said their team is also working toward a 'comprehensive redevelopment plan' to expand the development on the land surrounding the I-X Center.

CLEVELAND — It has sat dormant since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, but new life will soon come to Cleveland’s iconic I-X Center after its closure last year.

Industrial Realty Group says their company has purchased the stock of I-X Center Corporation, “which operates Cleveland’s 2.2 million square foot facility.”

Partnering with Industrial Commercial Properties, the company says developers will immediately prepare the Main Hall as promoters market trade show events, including the Auto Show, I-X Christmas Connection and the Home and Garden Show, among others.

RELATED: Cleveland Auto Show returning to I-X Center in 2022, cancels December 2021 event

“These trade shows have significant impact on the region’s economy,” said Stuart Lichter, president of IRG. “We are delighted to facilitate these events on site once again.”

The company said their team is also working toward a “comprehensive redevelopment plan” to expand the development on the land surrounding the I-X Center.

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“The site has features which are attractive to many tenants,” according to the company’s press release. “It is west of downtown Cleveland and adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with access to I-71.”

Lichter said the I-X Center has been on their radar for years.

“It has 159 acres full of potential and a versatile 2.2 million square foot building. We’re preparing a creative, robust plan for the surrounding development, while simultaneously reopening the existing I-X Center for convention and trade show use this year.”

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IRG expressed their confidence in the project, citing their formula to convert Goodyear’s former world headquarters in Akron “into a successful mixed-use hub with a thriving event center, theater and athletic facilities.

The I-X Center, which originally opened in 1985, welcomed more than two million visitors annually.

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