Noblesville’s Grace Church extending its reach to Fishers

After two false starts, it looks like Noblesville-based Grace Church has found a location for a satellite campus in Fishers.

Grace told members this month that the church is in the process of acquiring property at 126th Street and Olio Road—across the street from Hamilton Southeastern High School—and plans to build a worship center there.

Church leaders declined to discuss details before closing the deal in mid-May, but Senior Pastor Dave Rodriguez told IBJ last year that a Fishers site was in the works because about a quarter of Grace’s members live in there

A second location will allow the church to reach more of the community, according to a frequently-asked-questions section on its website, and eliminate “the barriers of size and distance” that keep some from attending services on 146th Street in Noblesville.

Formed in August 2013, Grace Church-Fishers holds services now in the church’s Central Auditorium on the main campus. Officials have been searching for a permanent location for more than a year.

It has been a challenge. After a preliminary deal for a former medical center at 11201 USA Parkway (just east of Interstate 69) fell apart, leaders focused on a site off 106th Street just west of I-69.

But last May, Fishers’ Town Council passed an ordinance prohibiting “institutional” uses along the highway from 96th Street to 126th Street—making sure property in the commercial corridor doesn’t end up being developed by organizations like Grace that don’t pay taxes.

If the current deal goes through, Grace will build a facility southwest of the Olio/126th intersection and north of the HSE Freshman Center at 12001 Olio Road.

Weekend programming will be offered at the Freshman Center while construction is in process, according to an update for members posted on the church website.