Officials celebrate new Clarksville driver services center ahead of tomorrow's opening

Assistant Commissioner Russell Shupe and Commissioner Jeff Long joined state and local leaders in Clarksville on Thursday to celebrate a new driver services center the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will officially open tomorrow.

"This will officially open tomorrow," Assistant Commissioner Russell Shupe said, and he noted the department will keep the county's other driver services location open while it is renovated so the community's needs are met.

Commissioner Jeff Long said the center was built "to better serve the people of Tennessee and especially the families and the workers and the students here in Montgomery County." He thanked the state delegation and local officials for their support and said the facility reflects a partnership between state and local leaders to improve service delivery.

"Every person who walks through these doors deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect," Long said, describing the center as part of efforts to keep services aligned with the region's growth.

Senator Bill Powers, invited to speak by the commissioner, described rapid population growth in Clarksville and Montgomery County and framed the new center as a response to that trend. He said Clarksville may soon surpass Chattanooga in size and suggested the city could overtake Knoxville by 2032, adding, "If we don't slow down a little bit, we're going to be farming between the cracks and the asphalt." Powers thanked the troopers and other partners involved in the project.

Representative Jeff Burkheart thanked the commissioner and staff, acknowledged colleagues and staff members he said helped secure budget support for the project (naming Paty Hazelwood, Curtis and Tim Johnson), and said the new facility addresses a longstanding county need. He told attendees the center had been part of budget discussions in prior years and expressed appreciation to staff on site.

Representative Ronnie Glenn offered brief remarks supporting the project's role in meeting growth-related demand and invited the public to visit the new center. Officials said the center's official service start is tomorrow, but staff at the event could assist people with renewals and other limited services during the opening ceremony.

The invitation to tour the facility drew applause from the audience as speakers concluded their remarks.