Future of Reading Post Office Still Unclear

Almost a year ago, the United States Postal Service let postal workers and officials in town know that they were considering selling the Haven Street post office. USPS coordinator for the project Michael Foley told the Chronicle that they would need to find a buyer first.

Then last month, USPS started the official process for closing the office, savethepostoffice.com said. Some services may be relocated to the Woburn facility if the building is sold.

To sell the post office, USPS has to go through two legal processes, according to savethepostoffice.com. One process for making the decision to move the retail services and another for selling a historic building. The regulations on re-locations allow for public input before any decisions are made.

In April, USPS sent real estate specialist Joseph Mulvey to a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen. According to savethepostoffice.com, the USPS used Mulvey's presentation at that meeting to fulfill their need for a public meeting, and now concerned residents may have missed their chance to voice their opinions.

According to our reports, the selectmen were told that a comment period on the post office proposal to move delivery vehicles from Reading to the Woburn post office on Washington Street but maintain customer services here will end on March 24. 

The Reading Post Office has been located on Haven Street since 1917, the Chronicle said. The U.S. Treasury Department authorized $55,000 for the construction, but the total cost may have been four times that, according to savethepostoffice.com. In 2012, the Reading post office was appraised at $1,740,100, savethepostoffice.com said. Due to declining mail volumes, USPS said that they do not need the space anymore.

What do you think? The post office is a historic building. Should the USPS sell it? Should residents be allowed input? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.