Law firm moving to Carmel City Center

The Indianapolis law firm of Drewry Simmons Vornehm LLP plans to vacate its office at Keystone Crossing and relocate to the new Carmel City Center.

City and firm leaders held a press conference Friday morning to announce that Drewry Simmons will move in January into the Hopper Building, which is part of Carmel’s downtown master plan, at the southwest corner of Range Line Road and City Center Drive.

In addition, Drewry Simmons said it plans to open an office staffed with three to five lawyers in downtown Indianapolis by early next year, as part of the firm’s growth plan.

Drewry Simmons, founded in 1996, has 39 employees, including 24 attorneys, ranking it the 22nd-largest law firm in Indianapolis, according to IBJ statistics.

Founded in 1996, the firm’s major practice area is construction law.

Carmel City Center is a 1 million-square-foot, $300 million mixed-used development that includes residential, retail and office space, as well as The Center for the Performing Arts. It features the 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall and 500-seat Tarkington theater.

“Being a part of such a large-scale development touches on the heart of our focus and business, as well as the urban aspect of the entire development that will place our employees and clients at the heart of Carmel’s government facilities, retail and restaurant establishments, green space, residential developments, offices and world-class performing arts centers,” Managing Partner Michael F. Drewry said in a prepared statement.

The center’s developer, locally based Pedcor Cos., is working on financing for the next three phases of the project, which would add a hotel and more retail, office and residential space.

Drewry Simmons joins The Addendum, a high-end home-accessory and gift shop located in Broad Ripple, which recently announced it will open a second location, in Carmel City Center.

Addendum plans to open in March and will lease 1,200 square feet. With extensions, its lease could run as long as 15 years.

Addendum opened in Carmel in 2004 and moved to Broad Ripple last year while waiting for the City Center project to finish. Owner Shane Hartke said the shop in Broad Ripple has worked out so well that he will keep the location.