Purdue programs moving to Switch development in Fishers

Two Purdue University programs have announced intentions to occupy the second floor of the Fishers Switch development.

The College of Pharmacy’s Center for Medication Safety Advancement and the Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership have agreed to a five-year lease in the three-story retail/office building on Municipal Drive, with plans to move by Aug. 1.

The $28 million mixed-use Switch project along 116th Street in the Nickel Plate District is under construction on land where the Fishers Train Station once stood.

In addition to the office building, the development includes a four-story apartment complex and 442-space parking garage.

Both Purdue programs currently occupy 7,000 square feet in a building on the northwest side of Indianapolis. The new space offers 12,000 square feet.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a statewide assistance program that helps companies find faster, better and cheaper ways to do business. Throughout the past 10 years, the partnership has worked with more than 950 manufacturing clients, resulting in an estimated economic impact of more than $1.2 billion in the state.

Director Dave Snow said the manufacturing program has 20 full-time employees now and intends to increase that to 48 employees by June 2017, mostly due to recent additional government funding that quadrupled the program’s budget.

The Center for Medication Safety Advancement promotes safe medication practices through community engagement and partnerships. Kyle Hultgren, director of the center, said he supported moving to Fishers because of the entrepreneurial success. Launch Fishers, the city’s co-working hub for entrepreneurs, recently announced a move to a bigger facility on Visionary Way, but will still be nearby.

The center intends to add two positions to its staff of seven, Hultgren said.

The cost of the lease wasn’t disclosed, but Snow said it is cost-competitive.

“It just made business sense for us to do this,” Snow said.