Drivers License Offices To Merge

Do not expect the Drivers Licensing Office in Downtown Sioux Falls to stay parked there for too long. In July, officials did not renew the office's lease in the Minnehaha County Building. It has since been there on a month-to-month basis.

The small room it is currently in had a tendency to get pretty crowded pretty quickly. But, Friday, however, was different.

"It was really quick. I really didn't have a wait. I was expecting a while of wait," Sara Limmer said, after she renewed her license.

The licensing office will move to the old Michael's Steakhouse building on Russell Street. The site has more space than the current downtown location.  However, this change also impacts the only other place to get your license in Minnehaha County. The other site on Westport near Target will shutdown and the two offices will merge into one location.

"There might be some distance to drive to get to it. I think the fact that it's easy to get to and easy to find is an important factor," SD Licensing Program Director Cindy Gerber said.

The new location's surroundings are pretty bare right now, but that will soon change when the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center opens just a few blocks away.

"We feel like that will give us more visibility," Gerber said.

Limmer likes the idea of one location.

"I think traffic's going to be crazy, but I think it will be easier for people to find," Limmer said.

Right now workers are doing a few renovations to convert the space from a restaurant to an office.  Gerber said there will be more room in the building and the employees will merge into a bigger staff to make customer service more efficient.

As for Shelley Meier, who was also renewing her license downtown, she was not too sure about the move.  The downtown location is near where she works and she never had to go far to get her license taken care of. 

"The one location is a little inconvenient for me. I guess I like to see it in different parts of town where people can have more convenience than just one location," Meier said.

The new site is set to open in the spring.