Department of Revenue tax offices to move into downtown building

The Kansas Department of Revenue will move into a downtown building after renovations are completed.

Downtown Topeka Inc. announced Wednesday that the Department of Revenue had signed a 25-year lease with the owners of the Scott Building, 120 S.E. 10th. The department currently is housed in the Docking State Office Building, which the state plans to tear down.

Jeannine Koranda, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Revenue, said the taxpayer assistance center, customer relations, collections, business tax, motor fuels tax and civil tax enforcement divisions will make the move. She said the timeline will depend on construction, and the department still is looking into parking arrangements.

The downtown building, known as the Scott Building, was constructed in 1926 for Cameron Motor Company, which sold Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Topeka banker C. O. Blevans sold the building in 1941 to investors Lloyd Scott, Jerry Puffer and Chester Wahle. Lloyd Scott became sole owner in 1950, after his partners died. The Kansas Department of Education used the building from 1967 until December 2013.

Scott Gales, a principal member of Architect One, said all three floors of the building are being gutted. It will need new wiring, plumbing and climate control, and there are plans to build an addition in part of the adjacent parking lot for a new entrance with an elevator and stairwell that will reach all three floors, he said.

The renovations also will restore the building to something more like its original appearance, when it had larger windows, Gales said.

It was due to be refurbished and itll be nice to take it back to the original look and charm, he said.

Gales said they hope finish demolition and have construction underway by June. The goal is to have the building ready for the Department of Revenue by the end of the year.

KS Commerical, Denison State Bank and Murray and Sons Construction also are part of the renovation plan. Mike Gibson, vice president of Murray and Sons, said the building was in good condition.

Its bones are great, he said. Amazingly, the concrete work done in 1926 is in almost mint condition.

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Department of Revenue tax offices to move into downtown building