LYNN — It could be awhile before North Shore residents have another Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) office.
For the third time in more than a year, the state is searching for 6,600 square feet of space in one of eight communities north of Boston.
While Lynn made the list along with Beverly, Danvers, Lynnfield, Middleton, Peabody, Topsfield and Wakefield, don’t count on a Registry office in the city.
“Lynn doesn’t have any commercial space near the highway that would work and the state really wants highway access,” a source familiar with the transaction told The Item. “The state prefers a high profile location. Danvers and Peabody are the sweet spot.”
The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) has given landlords until the end of August to submit a plan for space in a 10-year lease. The RMV expects 600 visitors a day to the new office and they require 125 parking spaces.
Gordon Hall, president of The Hall Co. and a director of The Daily Item, said his real estate firm does not have that kind of space available in a central location. But he suggested the Clock Tower Clock Business Center on the Lynnway since it’s easily accessible.
“The Clock Tower would be a great place for them,” he said. “It’s on the Lynnway with parking.”
But Phillip K. Burgess, president of Burgess Properties, which manages leasing for the complex, said they don’t have any available first floor space.
Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said the city is exploring the possibility of finding space for the RMV in Lynn.
DCAMM thought they had a location selected from the last round of requests when they chose space at Danvers Crossing. But the shopping plaza on Route 1 was sold at foreclosure auction in June.
The saga began more than a year ago when the Liberty Tree Mall branch in Danvers closed because of troubles with its air conditioning and heating systems.
The initial round of bids for a new location were rejected by the state. The second round brought six bids, including Danvers Crossing and two Peabody sites.
In the meantime, there’s a full RMV office in Revere and AAA offers some registry services at its Peabody and Saugus locations.
