The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $20 million center off DuPont Highway, south of New Castle.
Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt and DMV Director Jennifer Cohan were joined by Gov. Jack Markell, State Representative Valerie Longhurst, State Sen. Nicole Poore, Delaware City Mayor Stan Green, contractors, other officials and employees in marking the groundbreaking for the complex.
Located adjacent to the existing DART First State maintenance facility and park and ride off Route 13, the facility, which will be known as the Delaware City DMV, will be located on a 24-acre parcel and feature a seven-bay inspection lane, four drive-through teller windows, and 30 customer counter spots in a 42,000 square foot building.
The new facility will replace the existing New Castle Site located at Churchmans and Airport Road. The New Castle facility has been expanded and modified in recent years to accommodate increasing customer volumes. The site has little room for expansion and is only a few miles away from the newest DMV location off DuPont Highway.
The New Castle DMV also has no traffic signal and is now for crowded conditions at time.
The New Castle DMV staff of 60 employees currently serves an average of 38,800 customers per month. With the move to the Delaware City location and its proximity to Middletown, Bear, and the Route 40 & 72 corridors the average number of customers is expected to rise.
During the ceremony State Representative Valerie Longhurst, D-Delaware City, officially announced that the facility would be called the “Delaware City DMV.” She explained that the proximity to one of the state’s most historic towns is an important way to recognize the new location.
The Delaware City DMV facility is being designed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification. LEED program that provides third-party verification of green buildings. Numerous environmentally friendly design practices and materials are being incorporated into the project. For example, the building envelope design contains a high level of insulation which improves the efficient performance of the mechanical systems, leading to increased occupant comfort.
