Scotland County Annex Building Renovations Nearing Completion
By Echo Menges
MEMPHIS, Mo. — Renovations inside the former U.S. Bank building in downtown Memphis are expected to be completed by April 1, possibly sooner, and Scotland County commissioners say county offices could begin relocating to the building later this summer.
The Scotland County Commission purchased the 8,600 square foot building at 231 S. Market St. in 2025 for $250,000 using existing county funds. The property is being converted into a county annex to help relieve long standing space limitations inside the historic Scotland County Courthouse.
Once renovations are complete, several county offices are expected to move into the building as part of a long term facility plan developed through a workspace utilization study conducted by the Northeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission.
According to the study, six county offices are recommended to relocate to the annex building. Those offices include the county commission, county clerk, recorder of deeds, assessor, collector of revenue and county treasurer. The report recommends keeping those offices together because they work closely within the county’s property tax and financial administration process.
The study found that the six offices form a continuous workflow that handles the process of recording deeds, assessing property values, certifying tax levies, preparing tax books, collecting property taxes and distributing county funds. Co-locating those offices in the same building is expected to improve efficiency and public access to county services.
Court related offices will remain in the courthouse due to their reliance on courtrooms and judicial systems. Those offices include the associate circuit judge, circuit clerk, prosecuting attorney, sheriff and juvenile office.
The University of Missouri Extension office will also remain in the courthouse. The study noted the location provides opportunities for expanded programming and public services.
The study also recommends providing dedicated courthouse space for the public administrator and coroner, noting that both offices require secure areas for records storage and confidential meetings.
County officials said the annex building is not intended to replace the courthouse, which will continue to serve as the center for judicial functions and court operations.
Instead, the additional facility will allow administrative and financial offices to move into a more accessible space while reducing congestion inside the courthouse.
The former bank building offers a single level layout with improved accessibility, parking and potential drive through services for high traffic offices such as tax collection and election administration.
“We’re running out of room in the courthouse for offices and storage,” Ebeling said when the commission approved the acquisition last year.
The building was inspected prior to purchase and officials said it was determined to be a sound investment.
“We had it inspected by an engineering firm, and they said it was well worth the money,” Ebeling said.
The purchase was funded using existing county reserves and capital improvement funds. Commissioners previously said $200,000 had already been allocated in the 2025 budget for property acquisition, with an additional $50,000 coming from the county’s courthouse capital improvements fund.
