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East End Post Office Update!

Good News Church Hill Neighbors!

The East End Post Office along 25th St. is on track to reopen soon! We got an email/letter from Congressman McEachin just moments ago with a status update.

You can find that letter below as well as the letter sent to his office on behalf of The Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan.

May 11, 2018

Dear Church Hill and East End Neighbors,

Please see the attached letter for some good news. We know we have waited a long time for this and, like you all, I have been very frustrated. After numerous letters and meetings with both the local post office officials and with national ones, meetings with the building owner and even inquiries through the Congressional Oversight Committee, we now have an opening date.

I will continue to watch to ensure they meet this latest deadline and you can be assured that if they do not, I will diligently and avidly pursue this until a full service post office is returned to the neighborhood.

I am sorry it has taken this long to get answers but I really hope we will have good news to celebrate this month.

Please feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

A. Donald McEachin
Member of Congress
Virginia’s 4th District


From the United States Postal service to The Honorable A. Donald McEachin

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

April 26, 2018

The Honorable A. Donald McEachin
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-4604

Dear Congressman McEachin:

This is in response to your April 5 letter to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan regarding the status of the East End Station in Richmond.

As you are aware, safety issues necessitated a suspension of operations in April 2017.. Since then, the-U.S. Postal Service has served the location through a mobile retail unit, allowing customers to conduct some retail transactions, including the sale of stamps and Priority Mail Flat Rate package service, on weekdays from 9:30 a.m, to 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. There is a collection box for outgoing mail, and incoming mail for Post Office box customers is available daily at the mobile unit. Carrier delivery service in the area was not affected by the suspension.

The Postal Service leases the East End Station facility, and its owner (lessor) is responsible for building maintenance. Upon completion of lessor-responsible repairs, the Postal Service identified additional security related concerns that needed to be addressed to ensure the safety and security of customers and employees when occupying the facility. The Postal Service is completing repairs to remaining security related concerns for it to restore operations, which is tentatively expected in mid-May. We will announce a definitive reopening date later in the process.

We regret that the timeline for repairs has exceeded our initial estimate of mid-November 2017. That timeline was based on estimates provided by the owner, but due to repair delays pertaining to lessor responsibility, the Postal Service could not reliably provide a target date for reopening of the facility after the initial schedule lapse.

Until the East End Station reopens, the mobile unit remains in place. If customers require a service not provided by the mobile unit, there are multiple postal facilities nearby, including the Capitol Station at 700 East Main Street and the Main Post Office at 1801 Brook Road. Additionally, customers can place their mail on hold, file a change-of-address order, or request the redelivery of an item for which a notice was left by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS or visiting www.usps.com.

If I can be of assistance in other postal matters, please let me know.

Sincerely,

James Cari
Government Relations Representative

8 comments

UnionHillian 05/11/2018 at 7:54 PM

Fyi. The Postal “Mobile Truck” hours are:

9:30>4:30 M-F
Lunch 1:00>2:30

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Eric S. Huffstutler 05/11/2018 at 9:56 PM

What security concerns? I hope they don’t put that stupid bullet-proof glass back up. Other locations I have visited do not use it. Maybe cameras? But, the closing statement by James Cari sounds like what I have been saying all along. They are not concerned because there are several other locations so nearby and after a year, people have become acclimated to going to them.

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Mark 05/12/2018 at 9:11 AM

So what’s the deadline?

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Steven Summerville 05/12/2018 at 9:54 AM

Thank you!

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crd 05/12/2018 at 2:07 PM

@3 “The Postal Service is completing repairs to remaining security related concerns for it to restore operations, which is tentatively expected in mid-May. We will announce a definitive reopening date later in the process.”

@1 – I agree, I can’t seem to be there when they are open, they must take extended lunches. Twice in two weeks, I went and it was closed. I thought it was closer to 3 p.m. when I went, still closed.

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Tom 05/13/2018 at 7:06 PM

That truck is the worst. They refused to sell me stamps because it was Saturday. Said that they only were there to operate PO boxes on the weekend.

And every other time I go there, they’re either on extended lunches or taking bathroom breaks or shuttering the truck a half hour before scheduled closing time.

Just the worst..

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Eric S. Huffstutler 05/14/2018 at 12:28 AM

@6 Tom, even though I have only used the truck twice since it showed up a year ago, I feel your pain about the lack of commitment by the local Postmaster and Postal employees. Of course, they are allowed bathroom and lunch breaks but, as for lunch hours, someone from one of the other stations should show up to fill in during that time.

As for the non-sale of stamps on the weekend, that is ludicrous… especially since all the PO locations sell them that day.

What really got to me was the first time I visited the truck and needed a package shipped but they can’t do it there. I knew that the Montrose Station was filling in and asked the person in the truck for directions to it but was promptly met with an “I don’t know” answer!

By the way, the 8th and Main Streets location is a lot closer than the Montrose one and is also full service. A fit person can walk it. We have a good friend in their mid-60s, who has walked from Libby Park to MCV and back, with no problem. Should be a breeze for many people much younger! And is just a couple of minutes away by car and, is also on the bus route. 😉

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Eric S. Huffstutler 05/21/2018 at 2:59 PM

Someone said that the PO is open? I am away so did not notice or see an update post here? I hope they did all of the proposed updates like get rid of the glass window, added the self serve kiosk, fully stocked supply area, etc…?

Reply

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