(Memphis) A lease agreement is forcing the busy Crosstown Station Post Office to shut its doors. It’s last day will be July 20th.
The Post Office and the property owners didn’t renew the building’s lease.
So the Post Office is moving about a mile away, and customers aren’t happy.
“Most people that go to work look for this post office to be here for them to drop their mail off. And it’s going to be a great loss for this area once they move it,” said Florice Ballard, one of many customers who have bought stamps, mailed letters and shipped packages at the Crosstown Station on Union Avenue.
But after 35 years, there’s a notice on the front door:
It says the Post Office will close after July 20th.
The news didn’t get the “stamp” of approval from customers like Rod Merriweather,
“This location has always been very convenient. It was right here on Union and it was really easy to get in and out of,” Merriweather said.
David Case feels the same way,
“The staff has always been so nice. We hate it…to see it go…we really do,” said Case
The closing comes after the Postal Service and property owners couldn’t reach a lease agreement on the 15 hundred square foot building.
The Postal Service reportedly wanted a 30 percent reduction in rent.
Workers are throwing out trash and getting ready to move to a new site a mile away.
That’s not what customer Robert Irby wanted to hear,
“Whooo! That’s a little farther away there. Sure is,” Irby said.
Plans are to convert this building at 1325 Autumn into a full service post office. It’s currently an “employees only” station.
Starting July 21st, a trailer will be set up in the parking lot for people to mail letters or buy stamps.
The new location will be across from the vacant Sears Crosstown building and not far from several abandoned businesses.
Diana Preston says the new post office site doesn’t sound very appealing,
“Oh, it’s very unlikely that I’ll go to that one,” she said.
Rented mailboxes will also be moved to the Autumn location.
The Union Avenue site may not sit empty for long however.
A retail developer told us several people are interested in
the property.