By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Gravel-covered, packed ground at the former site of Marion County Food Bank was mock-broken Monday morning.

The ceremony, to mark soon-to-begin work on a new county health department, brought 36 observers.

They included city officials from Marion and Peabody, as well as county department heads, commissioners, St. Luke Hospital chief executive Alex Haines, the engineer who planned the building, representatives of contractor Nelson-Fowles Construction, members of land donor Marion Advancement Campaign, and health department director Krista Schneider.

“Today marks a significant milestone in better health for Marion County,” Schneider said.

The building originally was estimated to cost $1.8 million, but Nelson-Fowles gave commissioners plans in March to trim $200,000 from the cost.

The 5,000-square-foot building will face Main St.

It will have eight offices, a waiting room with kids’ play area, a break room, staff and public restrooms, a conference room, a receptionist area, a laboratory, storage rooms, two examination rooms, and a lactation room that could double as an examination room.

Its parking lot would connect to a parking lot at the school district office just north of the building, and limited access to the health building will be provided through the school lot.