David Decker looked over the construction site of the new Hub & Spoke facility, near I-69 on 106th Street, and smiled.  A large crowd had assembled Tuesday at the ground breaking ceremony for the new structure that is scheduled to open in April of 2020.

As co-founder of Hub & Spoke, along with his partner Travis Tucker, Decker is eager to get started constructing the complex, centered around the construction business in Central Indiana.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff was at the ground breaking event, because the local public school system plans to use Hub & Spoke as a gateway for Fishers-area students learning the building trades, which are in desperate need of trained employees.

“Hub & Spoke represents what could be a 21st century iteration of what we have come to realize are career centers within the state of Indiana,” said Dr. Bourff.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness was on hand.  He has strongly supported the Hub & Spoke concept from its inception, calling the path to this ground breaking “a long and winding road.”  The mayor said this project could only have happened as a result of a strong relationship between the city and the local school corporation.

Decker spoke to the assembled crowd, describing Hub & Spoke as “three different components of an ecosystem”

The three include a “Design Center,” a”Community Connect” co-working space and a “Maker Space.”

Decker talked about the Maker Space as “an innovation lab, community work shop, and an art studio, where we will teach hands-on experiential education to develop a skilled work force.”

In December of 2018, Samm Quinn of the Indianapolis Business Journal and myself talked to David Decker and Travis Tucker about their vision for Hub & Spoke.  You can listen to the podcast at this link.