Future of the National – South and West Locations

[BobC]

Originally Posted by theuclakid

Cleveland's IX center was sold to new owners and has reopened to hosting conventions....I believe this fall already....dont know if the NSCC has contacted them yet about hosting the Nationals again in the near future
Bruce Perry

The IX Center was not sold. It was, and still remains, owned by the City of Cleveland. The company that leased it from the City of Cleveland was purchased by a real estate development company that plans to continue on with the lease and to do some renovations to the structure and sublease part of it out as industrial property. The plan is to continue using the balance of the structure for shows and conventions as it had been used for leading up to the pandemic. No idea on how soon the renovations and subleasing will take place yet.

And this is why I said in an earlier post to not be surprised if the National may come back to Cleveland.

The building is huge and could have easily accomodated so many more dealers when they had the National in Cleveland. Always figured they didn't expand it more because when they had subsequent Nationals in other cities they wouldn't be able to include all the dealers they had in Cleveland. I know Rosemont is really close to O'Hare, but that doesn't hold a candle to the IX Center literally being at the end of the Hopkins Airport runway. The building is right by the junction of major north-south and east-west freeways, and has a parking lot that I don't remember ever being close to filled. The major downside is the IX Center is not surrounded by hotels, bars, and restaurants like the Stephens Center is in Chicago. But unlike Chicago, you can actually get around Cleveland easily by car, without all the ridiculous toll roads, and no serious rush hour traffic like Chicago and other cities. You can easily get downtown and have access in the area to things like the Rock and Roll HOF and even the original League Park (and museum) where the Cleveland Naps played and the first ever unofficiall all-star type game took place when they held a benefit game there for Addie Joss' widow and family. And the Canton Football HOF is only about an hour away by car as well. I know many didn't like Cleveland because you couldn't just walk everywhere, but there is still a lot to do and see if you know where you're going. Would like to see the National come back there some day.