A Muncie-based bank is moving its regional headquarters from Carmel to the northside of Indianapolis.
First Merchants Bank, with assets of nearly $18 billion, recently purchased the building at 8711 River Crossing Blvd. that previously served as the headquarters of Duke Realty. First Merchants will move all operations from Meridian Plaza Regional Office, 10333 N. Meridian St., in early 2024, according to a news release. The new headquarters is a little more than 5 miles from the Carmel location.
The building that will house the new headquarters was constructed in 2020. First Merchants leased space at Meridian Plaza for more than 10 years and occupied the third floor and about a quarter of the second floor, said Mark Hardwick, First Merchants Bank chief executive officer.
“The new building is 73,000 square feet, and we are effectively doubling our capacity,” Hardwick said. “We were out of space at Meridian Plaza. For a number of years, we’ve had a few dozen Indianapolis regional employees working in temporary space throughout various locations. We are looking forward to finally having all of our Indianapolis teammates in a single, state-of-the-art, attractively located, First Merchants-owned and branded location with great amenities nearby.”
Founded in 1893, First Merchants operates 125 branches in four states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio).
Michele Kawiecki, First Merchants chief financial officer, called the River Crossing Boulevard building “a marvel of design and construction,” noting that it earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and a Fitwell 2-Star rating by the Center of Active Design for its health-promoting design.
“It is one of the most desirable and strategic locations in Indianapolis,” Kawiecki said.
