Hardware store slated for Meridian Street building

A hardware store is hoping to open in a building formerly used by WFYI at 1433 N. Meridian St., city officials said.

The Metropolitan Development Commission’s Hearing Officer on Tuesday morning granted approval for the reuse of the building that the public broadcaster vacated in May 2008.

The hardware store's owner, also owns Affordable Building Supplies LLC at 55 S. State Ave. on the near-east side of Indianapolis.
 
The new store would be called North Meridian Hardware and would be located on the first floor of the two-story building and occupy 10,000 square feet. Payne said hopes to open the store by August.
 

An artist's rendering of North Meridian Hardware.

"We really feel a strong need for something right along the main thoroughfare of downtown, where people can stop as they're heading home or coming into work," he said.

Payne will lease the space with an option to buy the building, a WFYI spokeswoman said.

Variances were granted to reduce off-street parking for the store from 108 to 46 spaces and to allow a larger projecting sign than usually permitted.

The hearing officer procedure is an administrative approval process for variances, and no further action is required by the city.

Individual companies have at times leased space inside the building, the WFYI spokeswoman said.

But a hardware store would likely be a welcome addition to the downtown area to cater to the growing population from the increased development of condominiums and apartment buildings.

WFYI still owns the building that it left when it moved to the former Indiana Energy headquarters at 1630 N. Meridian St. The broadcaster paid $8.5 million for the four-story, 94,000-square-foot building and spent $11.6 million on renovations and equipment.