$36.75 million in bonds issued for new South Reno DMV location

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Board of Examiners on Tuesday, May 14, approved issuing $36.75 million in bonds to construct the new South Reno DMV building.

The primary bond amount is $36.1 million to cover the contract with Core Construction Services of Nevada to construct the new building. Additionally, a $301,000 contract for architectural and engineering services will go to Kershenow & Klippenstein Architects.

The third piece of the puzzle is $294,780 in bonds to pay Black Eagle Consulting to provide materials testing and inspection services for the building.

The three contracts will reportedly be paid off by highway funds and pollution control revenues. The board earlier issued $14.5 million in bonds to begin construction of the building.

Ground broke on the new 54,000-square-foot DMV building — planned for the corners of Sandhill Road and Double Diamond Parkway, off the South Meadows exit — this past September.

It will reportedly include a brand-new emissions lab and a full-service Commercial Driver's License (CDL) facility. It will also feature a Drive Up Express DMV Kiosk; according to the DMV, it will be the first of its kind in the nation.

The building is anticipated to open after Nevada Day weekend 2020 and greatly reduce wait times in the Reno area.

Currently, the DMV operates mainly from the Galletti Way location and has since 1979; however, that building is actually leased from the Nevada Department of Transportation. (NDOT). The DMV also has a CDL facility in Sparks, serving only those customers, often creating confusion for Nevadans.

The new facility is expected to alleviate that issue by combining both locations into a streamlined service center, featuring more parking than both current sites combined. The Galletti Way location is expected to shut down once the new spot opens.