Fishers City Hall coming down, and you can watch

John Tuohy, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read

It won’t exactly be one of those building implosions in which a large structure comes crashing down in seconds. But if you’ve got 16 hours to spare this week you can have a front row seat as Fishers City Hall is demolished brick-by-brick.

Construction crews will use bulldozers and other traditional tools of mass destruction to take down the 31-year-old building at Municipal Drive and 116th Street. The city has set up bleachers for the public to watch between 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday.

Demolition of the Fishers City Hall begins Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, as the outer layer of bricks is pulled off. The building will be replaced with a Fishers Arts and Municipal Complex. The need for the replacement of the building is because it has been slowly sinking into the soil for years, causing cracks to the foundation.
Demolition of the Fishers City Hall begins Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, as the outer layer of bricks is pulled off. The building will be replaced with a Fishers Arts and Municipal Complex. The need for the replacement of the building is because it has been slowly sinking into the soil for years, causing cracks to the foundation.

A $22.8 million Fishers Arts and Municipal Complex will replace the building, which has been slowly sinking into soil for years, causing cracks to the foundation. Officials used the opportunity to include a space for local artists, who have been seeking a permanent home.

Down time:Fishers City Hall is sinking. It might be time for a new one.

The first floor of the new three-story building will be for theater and musical performances, along with studios and galleries. It will be run by the Indianapolis Arts Center in a partnership with the city.  The second and third floors will be for city offices and conferences.

Bleachers to view the demolition are set-up on the north side of the of the building.

Fishers spokeswoman Ashley Elrod said the viewing was in response to resident inquiries about how to watch. When the fire department headquarters was torn down in the Municipal Complex officials said it drew a lot of onlookers.

“We saw a missed opportunity there,” Elrod said.

Fishers City Hall in Fishers, Ind., on Thursday, March 12, 2020
Fishers City Hall in Fishers, Ind., on Thursday, March 12, 2020

This times, the city reached out to pre-schools and day cares so children could watch and use it as a learning experience, she said.

The new complex is scheduled to be finished in the spring of 2024. The city has shifted its functions to other buildings of the Municipal Complex and elsewhere.

More:Fishers City Hall relocates during construction of new arts center and municipal complex

Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on Twitter and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fishers City Hall coming down, and you can watch