A rendering is shown at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Johnson County Coroner’s Office and Health Department building on July 14, 2023 in Franklin.
Daily Journal File Photo
Johnson County officials will officially open their newest government building on Wednesday.
The Johnson County Coroner’s Office and Health Department will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for their new building at 1 p.m. Wednesday. The building is located at 95 S. Drake Road, Franklin.
The public is invited to attend, officials say. Light refreshments will be served.
The new $6.5-million building has been under construction since last year on the 1.8-acre county-owned site. The project is fully funded with funds the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, which is a multi-trillion dollar federal COVID-19 relief bill.
The coroner’s office and health department have needed larger spaces for a number of years. Previously, the coroner’s office has operated out of three different locations across the county: the Johnson County Courthouse North Annex and Johnson Memorial Hospital, both in Franklin, and Jessen and Keller Funeral Home in Whiteland.
The health department has operated out of a rented space at 460 N. Morton St. in Franklin. File cabinets line the hallways, boxes are stacked on whatever counter space is available and employees share small office spaces.
Those unable to attend the ceremony and open house can see the Daily Journal’s coverage in Friday’s edition.
