IX – RENAISSANCE SCHOOL

by Connor, Emmett, Wren, Sylvie, and Gio

History

Frank Ix & Sons was founded in 1919 as a textile company. However, during World War II, they shifted to making nylon parachutes and created rip-stop nylon, which they received 4 awards for. However, competition led the company to its end and the warehouse was abandoned in 1999.

Rayon Street

Ix Park is surrounded by five streets: Rayon Street, 2nd Street, Ware Street, Elliot Street, and Monticello Avenue. The name “Rayon” refers to a synthetic fabric that was used to make nylon parachutes in World War II. Ix Park was built next to an underground river in order to dump the toxic waste that was made from synthesizing Rayon in the warehouse.

Section 8 Housing

Because of the toxic waste that the warehouse dispensed into the underground river, the surrounding area became very undesirable. This led to a lot of Section 8 housing being developed on all four sides of the Ix Warehouse due to the low property prices and value. This created a disparity between the development of Ix Art Park and the surrounding housing areas.

Urban Development Areas

Recently, there has been a lot of planning by the City Council to develop Friendship Court and the other Section 8 neighborhoods surrounding the art park. This would lead to more displacement of black families and poor families, since many previous urban projects, like Vinegar Hill, displaced such families into the Section 8 housing around Ix and into other neighborhoods. However, because of many protests by the residents of Friendship Court, Crescent Hall, and others, the city has created a plan that will result in zero resident displacement and mixed-income housing.

Architecture

Because Ix Park was originally a textile warehouse, it has no direct connection to any architect. However, in the recent re-development of Ix Art Park, artists like John Owens designed the park to have both colonial and modern industrial designs, as shown by the joint use of brick and glass. The metal awnings and steel plates above the windows reflect the original purpose of the Ix Park, giving it an industrial appearance while also making it seem modern and aesthetically appealing.