Construction to Begin on Johnson Memorial Project

The new emergency/outpatient facility will replace the original 1947 hospital building on the east side of the campus.

City and county officials will Wednesday join executives from Johnson Memorial Health to break ground on a $47 million medical facility in Franklin. The project will include a new emergency department and outpatient services facility as well as a new rehabilitation center.

Plans for the project were announced in November. The emergency/outpatient facility will replace the original hospital building on the campus, which was built in 1947. That building is set to be demolished this fall.

The new building will include a 17,400-square-foot emergency department, along with more than 33,000 square feet of space for various outpatient services, including radiology, laboratory, and wellness activities. The 20,400-square-foot rehabilitation center will feature physical, occupational, and speech therapy and rehabilitation services as well as orthopedic care services.

The emergency/outpatient building is expected to be complete in 2019.

Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett and Johnson County Commissioner Kevin Walls will join Sandi Huddleston, president of the Johnson Memorial Health Board of Directors, and Larry Heydon, chief executive officer of Johnson Memorial Health, for the groundbreaking ceremony. The event will also feature the opening of two time capsules from the original hospital cornerstone, which were set in 1945 and 1955.