IN THE WORKS: Floyd's New Driver Services Building

State and county officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning for a new Department of Driver Services facility to eventually replace the current building in Armuchee.

The current DDS building, in use since the 1950s, will be replaced by a new and larger state-of-the-art facility at the same location.

“This building is really (Commissioner) Scotty Hancock’s baby,” said Floyd County Commission Chair Allison Watters. “He’s been pushing hard for seven years, and it looks like he’s finally delivered.”

Watters thanked many in attendance, including Georgia Department of Driver Services Commissioner Spencer Moore and state Rep. Katie Dempsey for navigating the process to get funding for a new facility.

“A lot of us have a lot of memories about the old DDS building,” Watters said. “Whether it was getting a license for yourself or a learner’s permit for your kid, everyone has come to this building at one point or another.”

According to DDS Board Chair David Connell, the current building is one of the five oldest in the state, which has a total of 67 centers.

Connell credited former Gov. Sonny Perdue for reorganizing the DDS and tasking leadership with operating like a private sector business with customer satisfaction being at the forefront in decision making.

“Building this center is really helping build the future of Floyd County,” Connell said. “And as Floyd County continues to grow and add residents, their first interactions with government is usually with the DDS.”

According to Connell, across all of Georgia, the wait time at the DDS averaged only 6 minutes and 22 seconds for the 1,148,223 visitors through May of this year.

In the current facility, it was a 1 minute and 49 seconds average for the 2,630 customers through May, according to Connell.

“Your experience at the DDS is how most people judge the effectiveness of local government,” Hancock said. “So it’s important to get this new facility built as we continue to grow.”

The building is still in the design phase, according to Mitchell Headley, the president of Newnan-based Headley General Contractors. Once construction begins in the fall, it should take approximately six months to build the new facility and three months to demolish the old one.

“However, considering how old and small the DDS building is,” Watters quipped during her speech, “perhaps we can put the whole thing in the Rome Area History Center.”