A renovated former civic center in Highland Heights will become Northern Kentucky’s first regional medical examiner’s office in a decade and include a Kentucky State Police crime lab, state and university officials announced Friday at a groundbreaking ceremony.
Facility, funding and timeline
The project will convert the long-vacant Highland Heights Civic Center, a building that has stood empty since 2008, into a combined medical examiner’s office and crime lab. The state has allocated $21 million for a major renovation approved by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2024. Officials said the facility is expected to open in early 2028.
The building offers more than 19,000 square feet of space and will be leased for use by the Office of the Medical Examiner and the Kentucky State Police, according to the governor’s office. The northern part of Kentucky has been without a local medical examiner’s office since 2018, with cases routed to other regional offices in Louisville, Frankfort and Madisonville.
Officials cite benefits for families and investigations
At Friday’s event Gov. Andy Beshear called the new facility a public safety and public service improvement that will shorten travel and time for families and investigators.
“This new facility will help provide closure to families while easing the burden on law enforcement and allowing for quicker criminal investigations,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in the news release.
Beshear’s office said a local office will reduce the need to transport decedents “100 miles or more” one way to another regional center for examination, then return them home for funerals and burials. That, officials said, will save families both time and money and reduce resource burdens on law enforcement, coroners and other investigators.
Workload expectations and prior steps
The state anticipates the Northern Kentucky office will perform about 500 post-mortem examinations annually. The legislature approved $1.8 million specifically for reopening a Northern Kentucky regional medical examiner’s office in 2021, and the Beshear administration said it has been searching for an appropriate location to lease since then.
Northern Kentucky University officials joined state public safety leaders at the groundbreaking. NKU President Cady Short-Thompson emphasized the university’s interest in collaborative research opportunities, noting how faculty and students could partner with the new agencies once the facility is operational.
“Transforming this long-vacant facility into a vital public resource reflects NKU's deep commitment to serving Northern Kentucky and supporting the needs of our growing region,” NKU President Cady Short-Thompson said in the news release.
Local impact and operational notes
For coroners, law enforcement and families across Boone, Kenton, Campbell and surrounding counties, a local medical examiner’s presence could reduce transportation costs and shorten investigation timelines. Investigators will no longer routinely make long-distance transfers to other regional facilities for autopsies and forensic services, officials said. The inclusion of a Kentucky State Police crime lab on-site is intended to streamline evidence processing and could shorten the time required for forensic testing tied to criminal cases.
State officials did not publish a staffing plan or a detailed operational calendar in the release. The project will require substantial renovation of the civic center to meet the technical and safety requirements for autopsy suites and a forensic laboratory.
- Building: Former Highland Heights Civic Center (vacant since 2008)
- Space: More than 19,000 square feet
- Funding: $21 million approved in 2024; earlier $1.8 million appropriation in 2021 for reopening efforts
- Estimated caseload: About 500 post-mortem exams per year
- Projected opening: Early 2028
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Renovation funding | $21 million |
| Previously approved funding (2021) | $1.8 million |
| Building size | More than 19,000 sq ft |
| Estimated annual autopsies | About 500 |
What comes next
Renovation work must bring the building up to the specialized standards required for autopsy and laboratory operations, including ventilation, secure evidence storage, and safety systems. State and local officials will need to finalize lease terms, hire and credential staff, and equip the lab and autopsy suites before the facility can begin accepting cases. No firm opening month beyond “early 2028” was provided in the release.
The new office represents a shift in resources back to Northern Kentucky after a decade without a regional medical examiner’s presence. Officials say that shift is intended to give grieving families a more local option and to make investigative work more efficient for law enforcement across the region.
Marcus Ellison is the state correspondent for WE NEWS covering government, public safety and policy across Kentucky.
