The Illinois Secretary of State's Office has opened a new temporary DMV facility in Orland Park, in Chicago's southwest suburbs, after being forced out of their original offices in the village.

The new DMV facility at 18230 Orland Pkwy. is touted as being bigger and better, because it will be open longer and offer more services — but moving to the facility was not part of the state's plan.

The Secretary of State's office previously had a DMV facility at 14807 S. Ravinia Ave. The state was renting the facility from Orland Township, which is a different governmental body from the Village of Orland Park.

Township trustees voted 3-2 in July revoke the DMV lease agreement that had been set to expire in 2030, citing issues with space and parking, among other problems.

Some people complained that the mixture of town and state services in one spot caused confusion and overcrowding.

In July, Orland Township Trustee Ken Duffy said the area needed a space three times the 1,100 square feet that the Ravinia Avenue facility measured. Trustees also said there were long lines in extreme weather despite people having appointments, and they dislike that there is signage at every corner to clear up confusion with so many services being in one spot.

"It's like a flea market, there's signs everywhere, and they go in the front door, they have to get turned around and sent around the other way because they don't know where to go," Duffy said in July.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias released a statement in July, saying the trustees made the decision to close the Ravinia Avenue facility "without providing notice or consulting with Secretary of State staff," leaving the state in the lurch. The statement went on to say the board "failed their constituents and the taxpayers they are elected to serve."

But that headache appears to be sorted out for now after the Orland Park nonprofit CTF Illinois stepped in. The Secretary of State's office is leasing CTF space in a new building at 18230 Orland Pkwy for at least a year.

CTF is allowing the state to use the site for free, because the facility was being unused, and the nonprofit wanted to give back to a community that had given so much to them.

The new temporary facility was supposed to open to the public at 11:30 a.m. Monday, but officials opened it early because of a long line of drivers who were eager to get inside. It's a testament to how popular a location the original Orland Park facility was, and why some people were outraged when they thought it would be gone forever.

The Illinois Secretary of State's office has operated a DMV facility in Orland Park for at least 30 years, and officials said more than 60,000 people used it each year.

Giannoulias said his staff is on the hunt for a new permanent Orland Park DMV location so drivers and his employees don't have to move again.

"This was a total team effort, and a win-win-win for DMV customers, for Southland residents, and for Illinois taxpayers," Giannoulias said.

Until a new permanent location is found, the temporary site in Orland Park will be open an extra hour each day – Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and offer additional services, including behind-the-wheel road exams.