The Knox County Commissioners are progressing with plans to demolish the old and dilapidated Knox County Poor Asylum and build a new Emergency Operations Center on the site.

During their Tuesday meeting, Commissioner T.J. Brink discussed efforts to ensure the area’s history is respected, noting they are working with a company using ground-penetrating sonar to locate any potential unmarked graves. “We know of at least 11 deceased individuals there, and we are aware of some graves,” said Brink. “However, record-keeping from that time wasn’t always reliable, and we want to ensure no additional graves are disturbed.”

In the meantime, architects and local officials, including the E911 and Emergency Management Agency (EMA) directors, have been touring similar facilities in Greenfield and Greencastle as the design of the new building gets underway.

The new Emergency Operations Center will house Central Dispatch as well as the EMA and coroner offices.  It will measure  5,100-square-feet and cost around $2-million.