HI-FI Expansion
Construction Begins August 2026
Opening Night August 2027
Opening Night August 2027
A transformative investment in Indianapolis’ independent music community and the continued growth of Fountain Square.
Follow the Project Media Hits
Building the Next Chapter
For more than a decade, HI-FI has helped shape Indianapolis’ independent music community and has become an integral part of Fountain Square’s evolution into one of the city’s most vibrant arts and entertainment districts.
HI-FI will remain open during construction and continue operating with its regular concert schedule.
The HI-FI Expansion is a transformational investment that builds on everything that has made HI-FI a destination for artists and music fans while creating new opportunities for live music, community programming, and economic development that will further strengthen Fountain Square as a cultural destination.
Supported in part by a $1 million READI 2.0 Arts & Culture Grant through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, with SEND (Southeast Neighborhood Development) serving as fiscal agent, along with a significant investment from Deylen Realty and the support of private investors, corporate partners, and community stakeholders, the project represents a major investment in Indianapolis’ creative economy and quality of place.
With the majority of funding now secured, the HI-FI Expansion is entering its final phase of project financing ahead of an anticipated construction start in August 2026
Now, we’re building the next chapter.
Awarded a $1 Million
READI 2.0 Arts & Culture Grant
Selected by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to strengthen Indiana’s creative economy, quality of place, and long-term economic growth.
Project at a Glance
3
Connected Venues
1,850
Combined Capacity
150,000+
Annual Visitors
August
2026
2026
Construction Begins
August
2027
2027
Opening Night
The Vision
The HI-FI Expansion will transform the first floor of the Murphy Arts Center into a connected three-venue entertainment destination designed to support artists at every stage of their careers while creating new opportunities for live music, community programming, tourism, and economic development.
550 Capacity
HI-FI
Our flagship venue will expand to approximately 550 capacity through the permanent integration of the former Easy Rider space. The expansion preserves the intimate concert experience audiences have come to expect while providing additional capacity, improved guest amenities, and enhanced production capabilities.
200 Capacity
LO-FI
The LO-FI will relocate to the first floor of the Murphy Arts Center, creating a dedicated 200-capacity venue for emerging artists, local performances, comedy, private events, community programming, and creative experiences.
1,100 Capacity
New Performance Hall
A new, state-of-the-art 1,100-capacity performance hall will create a permanent home for many of the larger concerts and events currently presented by HI-FI. Purpose-built for today’s touring artists, the venue will allow us to present programming year-round in a controlled environment while significantly expanding opportunities for artists and audiences alike.
By transitioning many seasonal outdoor events indoors, the expansion will eliminate weather-related challenges, extend the concert calendar through every season, and generate an estimated 65,000 additional annual visitors to Fountain Square, particularly during the traditionally quieter months of November through April.
One Connected Experience
A defining feature of the HI-FI Expansion is bringing all three venues together into a single, connected entertainment destination.
Today, each venue operates independently, with entrances located on different sides of the Murphy Arts Center. While each space has developed its own identity, navigating between venues has never been seamless for guests or staff.
The expansion introduces a new interior corridor connecting every venue on one level, creating a unified guest experience while improving accessibility, artist hospitality, production, security, and daily operations.
The connected layout also unlocks new opportunities for multi-stage festivals, conferences, private events, and community gatherings. Signature events like Chreece, POST. Festival, and Tonic Ball will be able to activate multiple venues simultaneously while giving fans the freedom to move easily throughout the property.
Today, each venue operates independently, with entrances located on different sides of the Murphy Arts Center. While each space has developed its own identity, navigating between venues has never been seamless for guests or staff.
The expansion introduces a new interior corridor connecting every venue on one level, creating a unified guest experience while improving accessibility, artist hospitality, production, security, and daily operations.
The connected layout also unlocks new opportunities for multi-stage festivals, conferences, private events, and community gatherings. Signature events like Chreece, POST. Festival, and Tonic Ball will be able to activate multiple venues simultaneously while giving fans the freedom to move easily throughout the property.
Project Timeline
July 2026
Final Funding
& READI Award
August 2026
Phase 1
HI-FI Flagship Expansion
September 2026
Phase 2
New Performance Hall & LO-FI Construction
August 2027
Opening Night
Doors open
A Significant Milestone
$1M
READI 2.0 Arts & Culture Grant
The HI-FI Expansion recently reached a major milestone with the award of a $1 million READI 2.0 Arts & Culture Grant through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Selected through a competitive statewide process, the project was recognized for its ability to strengthen Indiana’s creative economy, enhance quality of place, preserve historic assets, and drive long-term economic growth.
The READI award, combined with private investment, corporate partnerships, and community support, has positioned the project to move forward and begin construction as final project financing is completed.
Selected through a competitive statewide process, the project was recognized for its ability to strengthen Indiana’s creative economy, enhance quality of place, preserve historic assets, and drive long-term economic growth.
The READI award, combined with private investment, corporate partnerships, and community support, has positioned the project to move forward and begin construction as final project financing is completed.
Project Partners
The HI-FI Expansion is made possible through stage and local programs, philanthropic contributions, private investment, corporate partnerships and community support.
We are grateful for the organizations and individuals helping bring this vision to life.
We are grateful for the organizations and individuals helping bring this vision to life.
IEDC
Indiana Economic Development Corporation
READI
2.0
Arts & Culture Initiative
Deylen
REALTY
Development Partner
Cambri
BUILDERS
General Contractor
SEND
Southeast Neighborhood Development
FSNA
Fountain Square Neighborhood Association
FFDA
Fountain Fletcher District Association
NIVA
NATIONAL INDEPENDENT VENUE ASSOCIATION
.
Follow the Expansion
Be there from day one.
We’ll continue sharing construction updates, project milestones, behind-the-scenes progress, and partnership announcements as the HI-FI Expansion moves toward Opening Night in August 2027.
Connect with us
Venue & Media Contact
Josh Baker – jb@mokbpresents.com
Booking & Programming
Dan Kemer – dk@mokbpresents.com
Construction & Vendors
.
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ will be updated as new information becomes available. Because the project is still in the early stages of development, some questions may not have complete answers yet.
Is the READI 2.0 Grant awarded to HI-FI using taxpayer dollars?
No. READI 2.0 uses philanthropic funding provided by the Lilly Endowment and administered through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), not taxpayer dollars.
Will there be any changes to the exterior of the building?
Pending approvals, the only planned exterior changes are the installation of a new sign and marquee, along with the expansion of a set of entry doors.
The Murphy Arts Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so any exterior modifications must go through an approval process by the appropriate historic preservation agencies.
Our intention is to position the new entrance and marquee in a way that closely reflects the building’s appearance when it housed the Grenada Theater more than 70 years ago.
The Murphy Arts Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so any exterior modifications must go through an approval process by the appropriate historic preservation agencies.
Our intention is to position the new entrance and marquee in a way that closely reflects the building’s appearance when it housed the Grenada Theater more than 70 years ago.
Will there be any businesses relocated or changes to existing businesses in the Murphy Arts Center?
No. Nothing will change.
There are only two tenants on the first floor of the Murphy Arts Center: HI-FI and Red Lion. Red Lion will remain in its current space without interruption. El Arado and Paradox Nightclub are not part of the Murphy Arts Center. They are located in separate buildings under separate ownership.
There are only two tenants on the first floor of the Murphy Arts Center: HI-FI and Red Lion. Red Lion will remain in its current space without interruption. El Arado and Paradox Nightclub are not part of the Murphy Arts Center. They are located in separate buildings under separate ownership.
This work will take place entirely within spaces we secured nearly two years ago. There will be no impact on the artist studios or businesses on the second floor, and all of those spaces will remain intact. Outside of some temporary noise during the demolition phase, we do not anticipate any significant disruption for the other tenants.
With the current Storm Drain Project and existing road work in Fountain Square, will this have any additional impact on the existing businesses?
Very little, if any.
HI-FI Co-Founder Josh Baker serves on the board of the Fountain Fletcher District Association and continues to work alongside neighborhood organizations and businesses to help drive visitors throughout the DPW construction project. We understand the challenges our neighbors are facing (we face the same issues) and will do everything we can to avoid adding to them.
Most of the construction will take place indoors, allowing us to minimize any impact on neighboring businesses. We may need to temporarily block one or two parking spaces during demolition or while installing the new marquee, but our goal is to have as little disruption as possible. Most exterior work is anticipated to take place during the winter after the City’s storm drain project has been completed.
HI-FI Co-Founder Josh Baker serves on the board of the Fountain Fletcher District Association and continues to work alongside neighborhood organizations and businesses to help drive visitors throughout the DPW construction project. We understand the challenges our neighbors are facing (we face the same issues) and will do everything we can to avoid adding to them.
Will there be any additional parking added?
Parking has long been part of the conversation in Fountain Square, just as it has been in other growing neighborhoods like Mass Ave and Broad Ripple. Those districts eventually added parking garages to support increased demand, and we expect Fountain Square will continue exploring long-term solutions as it grows.
Once construction is complete and the Annex infrastructure has been removed, a portion of the Murphy Arts Center parking lot will once again become available, helping free up parking elsewhere in the neighborhood.
When all of our venues were operating before the road construction began, there was generally still parking available throughout the neighborhood, even on busy nights. While demand continues to grow, we do not believe we are at a critical point today.
Fountain Square also remains one of the few entertainment districts in Indianapolis that still offers free on-street parking, something we are grateful has remained in place.
When all of our venues were operating before the road construction began, there was generally still parking available throughout the neighborhood, even on busy nights. While demand continues to grow, we do not believe we are at a critical point today.
Fountain Square also remains one of the few entertainment districts in Indianapolis that still offers free on-street parking, something we are grateful has remained in place.
There are currently no plans to add additional parking as part of this project.
Will this attract more “paid” parking to Fountain Square?
HI-FI does not control whether parking lots become paid parking. Those decisions are made by the individual property owners.
This year, the former PNC parking lot changed ownership, and the new owners entered into an agreement with LAZ Parking. As a result, HI-FI now pays to park artist buses, trailers and staff vehicles in that lot, creating a significant new expense for our business. To help offset a portion of those costs, we partnered with LAZ to oversee advance event parking for our guests. Paid parking was going to be implemented regardless of HI-FI’s involvement. By participating, we’re able to recover a portion of our own parking expenses while continuing to help ensure parking remains available for concertgoers.
Will HI-FI still be an intimate experience?
Absolutely. Providing an exceptional concert experience has always been one of our highest priorities, and that won’t change.
Very few changes will be made inside the existing HI-FI beyond removing the former Easy Rider wall and relocating the concession stand. LO-FI will move to the first floor, making it easier to find while receiving a modest increase in capacity.
The new performance hall is being designed as a general admission venue, but our goal is for it to maintain the intimate feeling people have come to expect from HI-FI, just on a slightly larger scale.
Very few changes will be made inside the existing HI-FI beyond removing the former Easy Rider wall and relocating the concession stand. LO-FI will move to the first floor, making it easier to find while receiving a modest increase in capacity.
The new performance hall is being designed as a general admission venue, but our goal is for it to maintain the intimate feeling people have come to expect from HI-FI, just on a slightly larger scale.
Will the new venue be all ages?
That is our plan. We worked hard to overcome the challenges of becoming an all-ages venue, and HI-FI has now successfully operated that way for more than a year. We thrive on seeing multiple generations of music fans all enjoying the shows at the same time.
Our intention is for all three venues to be all ages whenever possible. That said, final approval depends on the applicable licensing and regulatory agencies, so while we are optimistic, that decision is ultimately outside of our control.
Our intention is for all three venues to be all ages whenever possible. That said, final approval depends on the applicable licensing and regulatory agencies, so while we are optimistic, that decision is ultimately outside of our control.
Will you still book local artists in your venue?
Supporting local and regional artists has always been part of what we do, and that won’t change. Over the past 11 years, HI-FI has hosted hundreds of local and regional artists, providing opportunities for both emerging and established acts to perform on our stages.
We don’t think of ourselves as a “local music venue.” We’re simply a music venue committed to finding and developing great artists, regardless of where they’re from. Every show is booked the same way: by finding artists we believe in and matching them with an audience that wants to see them.
We also have a dedicated member of our team whose focus is helping identify opportunities for local artists, whether that’s opening slots on national tours, performances outside of our own venues, or connecting artists with opportunities in other markets. Over the years, we’ve helped local artists secure shows beyond Indianapolis and, in some cases, even provided tour support as they continued to grow.
The relocation of LO-FI to the first floor and its ability to operate year-round will create even more opportunities for local and regional artists. It provides another step in the ladder, giving artists a clearer path to grow from LO-FI to HI-FI and, ultimately, into our new performance hall as their audiences grow.
We don’t think of ourselves as a “local music venue.” We’re simply a music venue committed to finding and developing great artists, regardless of where they’re from. Every show is booked the same way: by finding artists we believe in and matching them with an audience that wants to see them.
We also have a dedicated member of our team whose focus is helping identify opportunities for local artists, whether that’s opening slots on national tours, performances outside of our own venues, or connecting artists with opportunities in other markets. Over the years, we’ve helped local artists secure shows beyond Indianapolis and, in some cases, even provided tour support as they continued to grow.
The relocation of LO-FI to the first floor and its ability to operate year-round will create even more opportunities for local and regional artists. It provides another step in the ladder, giving artists a clearer path to grow from LO-FI to HI-FI and, ultimately, into our new performance hall as their audiences grow.
Will there be seating / VIP upgrades in the new venue?
Yes.
While the room will support multiple seating configurations, whether a show is standing, seated or partially seated will always depend on the artist and the tour. Most shows will continue to be general admission, just as they are today.
The new performance hall will include a dedicated premium viewing area for guests looking for an upgraded experience. This has been one of the most requested amenities over the years.
The new venue is not being designed as a traditional seated theater. It is being built first and foremost as a general admission performance hall.
While the room will support multiple seating configurations, whether a show is standing, seated or partially seated will always depend on the artist and the tour. Most shows will continue to be general admission, just as they are today.