Future of Raleigh’s Old DMV Site

City eyes bold redevelopment for old DMV site.

As momentum builds on New Bern Avenue with Raleigh’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line and an influx of recently bowed businesses, a new development from the City of Raleigh will be a huge game changer for the area. 

Over a year after the city bought the old DMV HQ on New Bern Avenue in Southeast Raleigh, city staff recently completed an intensive public engagement process for the future of the 5.88-acre property—with community ideas including affordable housing, indoor and outdoor community gathering spaces, the incorporation of local food (whether a commissary kitchen, co-op or food hall), retail, public art and installations that incorporate the history of the area, and overall accessibility.

“This site can hopefully become a hub for the surrounding neighborhood,” emphasizes City of Raleigh Deputy Director of Planning & Development and Urban Projects Ken Bowers—while acting as a connector to DTR as it continues to push out from the city’s core.

The DMV site in particular was attractive to the city for this project due to its location on Raleigh’s first Bus Rapid Transit line. “We wanted to make sure lower-income households were able to access the improved transit that’s going to be provided,” says Bowers. Not to mention “this part of East Raleigh has historically been affordable because market rates, sales prices and rents were lower than other parts of the city.”

Now, the site is undergoing a market and design study to gauge what’s possible: how much can actually be built, what types of projects make financial and physical sense, and where rents might land. That work wraps in November, after which the city will seek development proposals—aiming to pick a developer by Q3 2026. Bowers adds the current four-story zoning will likely have to change to meet community demands.

“The city doesn’t often have a large site like this that we can reposition to redevelop to achieve some community priorities and policy goals,” he explains. “If this is successful, we hope it can be a model for sites elsewhere in the city.” 

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