ALBANY — The state Department of Motor Vehicles will open its new Albany office Monday, Jan. 7.

The DMV will be moving from its current location on South Pearl Street to 855 Central Ave. The new office will officially open at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 7. The South Pearl office will close at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4.

The Times Union first reported in September on the DMV’s plan to vacate the South Pearl location to Central Avenue. State officials said they were leaving the Historic Pastures neighborhood spot for a “centrally located office” with plenty of parking and access to public transportation.

The state has converted and is leasing existing space at the Central Avenue property, near the Everett Road exit off Interstate 90 in Albany.

“We are excited about providing a new location for our customers to transact business,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan in a news release. “It is in a convenient area of the city, along a bus line, and near other popular businesses so customers can save time by stopping at the DMV while they are out running other errands. We are also incorporating new technology and customers can expect to see these upgrades the moment they walk into the office.”

The state has leased the South Pearl property from Albany County, and its departure leaves the squat building at the corner of South Pearl where Morton Avenue turns into Rensselaer Street empty.

County officials have considered relocating the county Board of Elections office, which the county rents space for on North Russell Road for over $350,000 annually, but elections commissioners have expressed concern about locating in the neighborhood and whether the building will meet their needs. Meanwhile, talks have swirled for some time about relocating the county's probation office from its location across from the Times Union Center a few blocks north of the current DMV office.

Community members for some time have hoped the area could be redeveloped and the neighborhood could see a grocery store go into the DMV building.