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An Ohio-based coworking company says it has settled a lease dispute with the owner of the former Circle Centre Mall property in downtown Indianapolis.
Hendricks Commercial Properties earlier this month sued Columbus-based COhatch, claiming the firm has failed to pay nearly $180,000 in rent.
But a spokesperson for the coworking company told IBJ it will be permitted to remain in its more than 9,600-square-foot space near the southwest corner of Illinois and Washington streets.
The matter “has been successfully settled including dismissing the request to terminate the company’s lease and the lawsuit was dropped by Hendricks Commercial Properties,” as of late Friday, spokesperson Janet Brumfield told IBJ in an email. “COhatch will continue to operate at this location, as previously shared. It is business as usual.” The company did not disclose details of the agreement.
As of early Monday afternoon, the case in Marion Superior Court retained a “pending” designation and a motion to dismiss had not been posted. Specific settlement agreements between private parties are generally not made public.
A spokesperson for Hendricks did not respond to IBJ’s request for comment in time for publication.
The coworking company, which has had a location at the downtown mall for five years, is the fourth tenant since 2024 that has been threatened with eviction over allegations of unpaid rent. The property owner did not indicate how long COhatch has gone without paying its rent.
In addition to the company, four individuals — Chris Watkins, Tammy Watkins, John Watkins and Dinah Chong Watkins — were named in the suit, with Hendricks alleging they were considered legal guarantors of the company’s lease and failed to meet payment requirements.
Beloit, Wisconsin-based Hendricks plans to redevelop the former mall into a $600 million, two-block district called Traction Yards over the next several years. The first phase of that project is expected to focus on the southern block bounded by Maryland, Meridian, Georgia and Illinois streets.
COhatch confirmed its plans for a Circle Centre location in June 2020, but did not open until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It took over a space previously occupied by Granite City Food & Brewery.
The company, which is still open to members at its Circle Centre location, has four other locations in Marion and Hamilton counties: Zionsville, Carmel, Noblesville and Broad Ripple. In total, it has 36 locations across six states, including 21 in its home state of Ohio.
Last year, Hendricks filed a lawsuit against Punch Bowl Social, alleging the restaurant company has failed to pay more than $650,000 in rent since June 2025.
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