More than two decades after the Scott County Sheriff's Office moved into their current headquarters, they're about to start a new chapter with a new building.
Shovels dig into the ground where the department will soon call home, just off Highway 61 along Blackhawk Trail Road in Eldridge, Iowa. The new building will replace their current headquarters, which was built in 1994 and was meant to be a temporary fix while they searched for a more permanent spot.
The Scott County Board of Supervisors approved the funding for the project in March, and it's expected to cost just under $5 million. If all goes according to plan, the new building is expected to reduced response times through many rural areas of Scott County because of the easy access to the highway.
"In the 178 year history of the Scott County Sheriff's Office, the patrol division has never had a permanent home. That is about to change. I am here representing the dedicated men and women of the sheriff's office by saying thank you," Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conrad said.
The new Scott County Sheriff's Office headquarters in Eldridge will be built through the remainder of this year and should be open for full use by April 2017.