A loss of electricity Tuesday morning struck lower levels of the Hennepin County Government Center for several hours, throwing into darkness the large room where services for vehicle and driver licensing are located, a county spokeswoman said.
Floors below the skyway level of the downtown Minneapolis building were affected to various degrees from roughly 7 a.m. until shortly before 11 a.m., spokeswoman Carolyn Marinan said.
The lower levels are occupied by parking, along with the city attorney's office, the licensing service center, a cafeteria, Wings Credit Union and a public court records room. Courtrooms are located above the Skyway level.
The door leading to underground parking was operated manually to allow vehicles in, she said.
Marinan said the failure was attributed to "a contractor working on the lower level space [who] tripped a breaker to the power supply line."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
