It’s taken thousands of steel studs and sheets of drywall to get this far, but the renovations of the I-X Center are underway — and they’re massive.
The walls are daunting to look at. With over 1 million square feet of space on the main floor alone, and ceilings higher than 60 feet in some spaces, dividing the building into separate areas is a mammoth undertaking.
It’s also been a time for liquidation. The I-X Center has been getting rid of carpets, tools, bar taps and is even trying to donate a football field.Claire Anter, director of sales and marketing at the I-X Center, said the renovations should be done before Christmas Connection starts on Nov. 18. The annual event is a one-stop holiday shopping event, with gifts, decorations and specialty foods for sale.
“There were so many unused parts of the facility before,” Anter said. “Now we’re bringing life to all spaces.” The west side of the event space, starting about where the Ferris Wheel used to be, will be walled off for tenant space. And then the south hall, which was largely used for storage, will become part of the main event space.Anter said vendors will still be able to drive in through the north and south sides of the building. Upgrades are being made to make sure the I-X Center still has its best attributes, which is that its massive and is basically a blank canvas for events.
It was a year after it shut down that IRG announced it bought the lease and intended to reopen the I-X Center, keeping it as an event center but also leasing the space.