Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of restoration and recovery efforts at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce building in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. The building was damaged by water due to efforts by firefighters to control the fire at the neighboring Irwin Block building.
After 50 years at its Franklin Street location, the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce is searching for a new home.
The chamber has terminated its lease at 500 Franklin St. and completely cleared out its offices, said chamber President Cindy Frey. The building sustained water and smoke damage from the Dec. 3 fire that destroyed the neighboring Irwin Block Building.
The chamber had previously indicated it would return to its Franklin Street location following restoration work. Frey said the decision to move came after a discussion with the board of directors about the “long-term viability” of the space and “the speed with which we’d like to be back in business.”
“We just are eager to get up and running in a new home where we can kind of have a permanent place,” she said. “Our current situation at this building provided by Cummins is working just fine, but it isn’t long term. And we just want to focus on our work and feel like we’re rooted in place.”
The chamber and the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. (EDC) signed a joint lease in late December for office space at 526 Washington St. Cummins is leasing the space to both organizations for up to six months, with an option to renew if needed.
Frey said that the chamber has been looking at other properties but has yet to determine where its new location will be, especially since there is not a lot of first-floor real estate available in downtown Columbus that fits the organization’s needs.
“It is disappointing,” Frey said, in regards to leaving the old headquarters behind. “We had a really beautiful modern office that served our needs well, and we loved being in the heart of downtown and being close to the visitors’ center and the Economic Development Corp. I just hope we can find a place that serves us as well for the next 50 years.”
The chamber hopes to continuing co-locating alongside the EDC, which was headquartered in the same building at Fifth and Franklin prior to the fire.
“We likewise are looking for a new permanent location, and we are partnering with the Chamber of Commerce,” said EDC President Jason Hester. “So if possible, we and the chamber would like to find a space where both organizations could locate. And our respective boards are both supportive of that approach.”
He added that, unlike the chamber, the EDC has not officially made a decision regarding its lease. However, they have informed their landlord that they’re considering other options. This is due to the extent of repairs and renovations needed at the site and the time it would take to complete that work.
According to Hester, the EDC has been located at 440 Fifth St. since it spun out from the chamber in 1976. He said that they hope to find another downtown location in order to maintain close proximity to local government offices.
“What’s most important to us is that we can do our work, that we can meet the needs of the community,” he said.
