New Launch Fishers location set to open March 7

Months after the initial target, Launch Fishers officially has a moving date for its new building.

Members with private offices will transition from March 1-4, and all other members will relocate to the 52,000-square-foot co-working facility at 12175 Visionary Way on March 7.

Staff members will start hauling some of the TVs, desks, chairs and other equipment out of the existing location starting Friday.

The new space—which more than triples the existing space—will continue to offer dedicated desk space, private offices, a coffee shop, phone booths, conference rooms and open workspace.

Launch Fishers has operated out of the 16,000-square-foot basement of the Hamilton East Public Library since it started in fall 2012. The program has more than 530 members.

The new digs will also feature more bathrooms, a bistro serving food, a small theater for presentations, a separate entrance and classrooms for Ball State University, and a suite for Carmel-based coding academy Eleven Fifty.

Ball State will lease about 3,000 square feet to create the Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. Companies working from Launch will have access to university research, faculty and students.

Eleven Fifty has agreed to lease 2,742 square feet of space for one year.

The new building also increases the number of private office suites available to 12—and all have been claimed already—and adds more meeting rooms. Three rooms will be specifically available to dedicated desk members and another 13 rooms will be provided for all members.

The theater space and suite for Eleven Fifty will not be finished by the beginning of March, but all of the conference rooms, offices and open work space areas are expected to be completed.

The city purchased the former Deca Financial Services LLC building for $3.1 million in April 2015, and the renovation is expected to cost $400,000.

Initially, the move had been expected to occur in November. Then in October, CEO John Wechsler estimated the move would occur before the end of the year. The move-in date is still somewhat tentative because an occupancy permit has not been issued yet for the new building.

Disclosure: IBJ pays for an annual membership to Launch Fishers for the North of 96th reporter so she doesn’t have to constantly search for coffee shops with web access.