The International Exposition Center, or I-X Center, was built during World War II next to Cleveland’s main airport to assemble Boeing B-29 bombers. Later it was used to build military tanks. But for the last 40 years, it has hosted trade shows, exhibitions and other events. How long that will continue remains uncertain (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Convention biz has several years to sort out
To say that Greater Cleveland’s convention and visitors business is in a state of flux right now would be an understatement. Two new developments have put it there — the failure of a pending deal to redevelop the I-X Center for a new tenant plus the design and marketing of the new Huntington Bank Field as a competitive event venue.
NEOtrans has learned from three sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity that a deal to land an unidentified Fortune 100 company at the I-X Center, and thus end its 40-year run as an event venue, has fallen through.
The tenant was to occupy up to 1.5 million square feet of available space at the 2.2 million-square-foot facility, at 1 I-X Center Dr. The tenant, reportedly a manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles or EVs, would bring up to 250 jobs. Amazon Web Services apparently considered the site but rejected it.
The I-X Center today has 530,000 square feet available to host shows. Another 700,000 square feet is leased to Gojo Industries for warehousing. The remaining 1 million square feet is not committed to any end user.
In June 2025, Cleveland City Council voted to authorize Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration to extend a ground lease with an affiliate of Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP). The I-X Center sets on 159 acres of city-owned land next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
A rendering of the I-X Center redeveloped entirely for manufacturing and warehousing (JLL).
The lease was due to expire in 2039 but council authorized extending it by another 49 years to help ICP secure a facility lease with the unidentified tenant. The city can terminate the lease after 10 years if the land is needed for airport expansion.
The sources said that, while demand for EVs continue to grow globally, there has been a significant slowdown in U.S. demand growth due in part to a sharp, policy-driven sales drop in late-2025. So the battery plant was no longer needed.
But something else went wrong after council passed the authorizing ordinance. The sources said the lease extension documents weren’t even signed with ICP affiliate Industrial Realty Group, LLC. It bought the stock of I-X Center Corp. in 2021.
Those reports are supported by the fact that no lease extension documents for I-X Center Corp. have been recorded with Cuyahoga County. One would think that, even though the battery plant reportedly fell through, ICP would still want the lease extended to attract another tenant.
Neither ICP or city officials have responded to NEOtrans’ inquiries for more information prior to publication of this article.
This rendering of the new Huntington Bank Field’s concourses, touted as the largest concourse space among National Football League stadiums, will double as exhibition space for shows that the Haslam Sports Group hopes to lure (HKS).
However, on the I-X Center’s Web site, there is a prominent advisory “NOTE: All events will go on as scheduled at the I-X Center, until further notice. Stay tuned to our official social channels and website for any updates.”
If the I-X Center continues to host events into the next decade, there will soon be three major venues in Greater Cleveland for hosting conventions, trade shows and exhibitions. Why?
In the past week, the Haslam Sports Group, owner of the Cleveland Browns football team, and Dallas-based HKS, the architect of its planned, enclosed stadium at 18300 Snow Rd. in suburban Brook Park, revealed new renderings of the new Huntington Bank Field — 1 mile from the I-X Center.
A major new design feature for the $2.2 billion stadium is the addition of a “Grand Concourse” which the Haslam Sports Group said would be the largest in the National Football League. But the concourse, and indeed, the entire stadium isn’t limited to football.
Peter John-Baptiste, chief communications officer at the Haslam Sports Group, said the grand concourse will measure 350,000 square feet. It and another 100,000-plus square feet on the field will be offered to host shows, conventions and events along with space in the stadium’s clubs.
Rendering of the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park on a football game day. But the venue is designed to also attract shows and local crowds to them, like the auto, golf, boat and other shows (HKS).
“The building was designed with hosting trade and exhibition shows in mind,” he said. “We want to preserve and attract more of those events and shows for our region.”
Consider that the I-X Center has 530,000 square feet available to host shows. The recently expanded Huntington Convention Center in Downtown Cleveland has 550,000 square feet of event and meeting space. The new Huntington Bank Field will offer as much or more floor space than its two competitors.
But the uncertain future of the I-X Center adds a new wrinkle. And it hasn’t stopped the Haslam Sports Group from reaching out to organizers of events like the Cleveland Auto Show that runs Feb. 20-March 1 at the I-X Center or the three-day Cleveland Golf Show which preceded it.
“We’ve had some discussions with show producers that may be displaced with the future of the I-X Center uncertain but nothing has been finalized,” John-Baptiste added.
There will be at least several years for Greater Cleveland’s convention and exhibition business to sort itself out. Site preparations for the new stadium are due to start next month with construction expected to wrap up as early as summer 2029.
The spacious concourses and their patrons, although dressed for football, are also fashioned for large-scale events that could otherwise go to the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, downtown, or the I-X Center just a mile away (HKS).
NEOtrans broke the story that the Haslam Sports Group extended its lease with the City of Cleveland for use of the downtown stadium for up to more years in case construction in Brook Park takes longer than expected. After the Browns leave, the downtown lakefront stadium will be demolished.
Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said he doesn’t anticipate the new Huntington Bank Field will compete with the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland downtown. That center is owned by Cuyahoga County and managed by ASM Global.
His reasoning was that lengthy shows like the Cleveland Auto Show might not be a good fit for the Huntington Convention Center because they would block out shorter trade shows and events that result in good business for downtown hotels and restaurants.
The auto, golf, boat and other shows attract local residents who don’t need overnight accommodations. And overnight stays in Cuyahoga County hotels produce bed taxes that support the convention center’s operations and maintenance.
“If done right, they (the downtown and Brook Park venues) could be complementary,” Ronayne said. “I don’t want to second-guess everything they (the Haslams) do.”
Where the new Huntington Bank Field’s concourses will transition to seating for football games. But the Haslam Sports Group said the large, 100,000-square-foot-plus playing field can also double as additional event space for shows and events (HKS).
But he said he is gathering more information about the I-X Center’s situation and the proposed uses of the new Huntington Bank Field. Otherwise, it’s too early to comment on the Haslam Sports Group’s business plan, he added.
David Gilbert, president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau Destination Cleveland, acknowledged that having two major venues for conventions, shows and exhibitions in Greater Cleveland would be worthwhile.
“Our understanding is that Haslam Sports Group hopes to attract locally focused consumer shows and exhibitions to their new stadium space,” Gilbert said.
“These types of events are very different from the hundreds of meetings, conventions and trade shows Destination Cleveland secures each year, which generate significant overnight visitation and spending for our downtown hotels, restaurants and other businesses,” he explained.
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