Raleigh City Council approves deal to buy former DMV headquarters with plans for redevelopment

The timeline for Raleigh to redevelop the old state DMV headquarters is beginning to take shape.

On Tuesday afternoon, city council approved the deal to buy the property on New Bern Avenue for $20 million. The state already agreed to the sale.

Most of the building has been closed since the DMV moved its headquarters to Rocky Mount three years ago.

The 6-acre site is along the route for Raleigh's first bus rapid transit line, which will bring faster, more frequent bus service in 2025.

"Obviously, affordable housing is an important aspect of this," Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. "But also, what kind of services? Is it daycare? Is it workforce development? Is it a community gathering place as well? We want to hear from the community to see what they think."

Over the next few months, the city will put together a project group to help come up with a vision for how to redevelop the site.

They're looking for second and third generation Raleigh natives who have a strong connection to the New Bern Avenue corridor.