By August, area taxpayers will have much better access as the regional Department of Revenue moves from Birmingham&8217;s historic district to Hoover&8217;s Public Safety Center on Valleydale Road.

&8220;The new location is obviously going to be a lot more desirable because it will have better parking,&8221; said Carolyn Blackstock, media affairs.

&8220;Taxpayers will be better served, have better access in Hoover than in downtown Birmingham,&8221; she said.

The Department of Revenue agreed to a 10-year lease with Hoover and will pay almost $193,000 a year for the nearly 17,000 square-foot space. An exact move date has not been set.

Operations will continue to serve both Shelby and Jefferson counties. Regional offices are set up with representatives for various tax areas to help taxpayers at a local level.

One of the largest service centers in the state, according to Blackstock, the local office serves an especially high volume of traffic during tax season.

The Department of Revenue joins the cluster of municipal and outside agencies filling up the former BellSouth warehouse now owned by the city.

Also housed in the facility are the city jail and court, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the American Red Cross