INDIANAPOLIS — Hamilton County will be breaking ground on a new $85 million public safety center next week.
The center will be located on at 18291 Presley Drive in Noblesville, east of Indiana 37 and Indiana 38. That's on the eastern side of Indiana 37, across from the Hamilton County Jail.
The groundbreaking will be hosted on Tuesday, July 30 at 11 a.m.
According to a news release, the center will feature a three-story emergency operations center designed to house 911 dispatch and emergency operations. Plans also call for additional storage and the potential for a childcare facility.
Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman says Hamilton County Public Safety Communications has "outgrown its current space."
“As the county grows, so too do the demands for public service,” Altman said. “Even if the county council gave us additional dispatchers, we simply wouldn’t have a place to put them.”
Currently, officials explained that the 911 dispatch center shares the basement of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office with the Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center. The department dispatches for 17 agencies including nine fire and EMS agencies, seven police departments and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
“This new center will significantly enhance our ability to respond to emergencies and provide critical services to our residents,” Mike Hubbs, executive director of Hamilton County communications, said. “It represents a major investment in the safety and well-being of Hamilton County."
Construction is scheduled to start next month. Officials said it will take two years to complete.
(NOTE: the video at the top of this story is a previous report on preparing children for emergencies)