More than half a century ago, the Worcester chapter of the Registry of Motor Vehicles was razed to make way for Interstate 190.
The branch was located on Gold Star Boulevard, part of which was redeveloped in the 1970s when the highway took shape.
The former Atamian Porsche-Audi dealership, 300 Grove St., not far from the doomed branch, was chosen by the state as the temporary home of the RMV. That branch – seen in this week’s Then photo – opened in February 1978.
Meanwhile, plans were afoot to relocate the RMV to a new building elsewhere in the city. Worcester officials lobbied the state to locate a new facility downtown. The state approved a site at Main and Madison Streets, which had previously been home to the Royal Hotel and the Broms Academy of Hairdressing.
Because the construction of a new RMV was expected to take years, the state settled with the closed dealer.
The building was part of Atamian Motors, a family-owned business for many years with a main showroom at 1013 Main St. There was a dealership at 231 Shrewsbury St.
Before Atamian Porsche-Audi moved into the building at 300 Grove St., it was home to Toomey Rents/Sells.
Charles Atamian, representative of Atamian Realty Trust, made an unsuccessful attempt to have the state become a permanent resident of the Grove Street building. State and city officials claimed the downtown site would revitalize Main Street.
The Register on Grove Street closed in February 1984, just days before the downtown branch opened. Employees removed truckloads of filing cabinets, boxes and office furniture from the old facility over Washington’s Birthday weekend in preparation for the downtown branch’s grand opening.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Gov. Michael Dukakis said of the new department. He noted that its creation had been on the table since his first term.
After the RMV left, the building at 300 Grove St. became home to the Worcester Surgery Center, an outpatient clinic.
Last week Then and now: Birthplace marker of George Bancroft, Salisbury Street, Worcester
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Then & Now: RMV, 300 Grove St., Worcester
