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What is up with the Church Hill Post Office? (Update)

Update: Thanks crd for the update!

From NBC12:

“At present, a timeframe for reopening of the East End Post Office has not been determined,” Freda Sauter of the U.S. Postal Service corporate communications said Tuesday. “Postal Service engineers have to complete an assessment and review repairs. The Postal Service regrets any inconvenience to its customers and will work to restore operations for this office as soon as possible.”

One neighbor said last week that the closing has been “a disaster.”

Developer Josh Bilder is on top of it and waiting for the Post Office to act according to this news interview. Despite the fact the renovations and repairs have taken place in the building, the matter is “under review” as a representative from the Post Office told NBC12.

From NBC 12:

“As far as I’m concerned, the repairs have been finished,” said Bilder. “All the reports I have, the building is structurally sound. I had people go through it, and the post office had people go through it.”

Bilder said the plan was for the post office to be operating again by this past Christmas. However, he says post office representatives asked for a couple more repairs to be completed after a walkthrough last month. Bilder says those repairs were completed before the new year.

In a statement to NBC12, a post office representative said the matter is “still under review.”

Were some folks quick to an opinion without considering all the facts? Renovations, especially in Richmond, are sometimes complex and frustrating team efforts. Channel your frustration here, but remember, do your best to keep feedback civil and constructive.

[sep]

While many of you are excited to have the Post Office back, some of you are hoping for quality customer service, as long-time reader Eric H. wrote back last spring:

I visit the Colonial Heights Post Office often and it is a model of what one should be like, and is actually smaller in size. It is clean and organized. The window and counters are wide open, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. What is the issue with having the same in the East End?

22 comments

Kathi Sanders 01/14/2018 at 10:17 AM

I guess “renovations” is a very loose term in this case. Repairs may have been done but certainly no renovations. Same old crappy dirty building and, as far as I’m concerned, if Josh Bilder owns it, he’s owns how crappy it looks.

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lanny 01/14/2018 at 3:18 PM

#1 – Ah ah ah! Per the new CHPN people, “Channel your frustration here, but remember, do your best to keep feedback civil and constructive.”

But not too MUCH frustration. Kind of like being back in kindergarten.

(I fully agree with you.)

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Yvette Cannon 01/15/2018 at 12:41 AM

I’ve been to this post office many times over many years. The rudest, most nonchalant postal employees I’ve ever seen. IT gets crowded often and there is only one employee waiting on customers. IT happens at the 2nd Street location also. But there the employees are very kind and personable

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/15/2018 at 4:18 PM

Not quite sure about the “repairs”. I thought, in the beginning, the roof needed to be repaired or replaced. That isn’t even being mentioned now. A newly updated lobby also promised… where is it? If all you do is change out a few light fixtures, update a bathroom, and slap on a coat of paint and lay tile in the work area is not exactly renovating the building or making it more user-friendly for patrons.

Kelly Avellino of NBC12, said she contacted Post Office officials but that in itself is a miracle, finding anyone at the Post Office to answer phones or emails. I am curious as to why they are hesitant to occupy the building? All I know is that Josh Bilder looked very agitated and uncomfortable on camera.

I am also sure, environment employees work in makes a difference with attitudes. If you work in a prison (no open counters but bulletproof glass) and no self-serve equipment or supplies in the lobby to handle small sales and mailings, then it can be frustrating.

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/15/2018 at 4:25 PM

By the way… from the way the lease contract is made for this building according to the USPS website, what I understand is that Bilder is only responsible for the roof while all other repairs are the Post Office’s responsibility. Not sure where things went awry or who ended up being responsible for what?

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lanny 01/15/2018 at 4:41 PM

It’s interesting that the employees at the (maybe) defunct 25th street post office continue to be castigated for one fault or another. I have found that they are fairly typical of most government employees.

And it’s fascinating that on one hand their poor service is criticized (as is that of employees at the VA) while on the other hand there is a continuous and rabid push to give more and more government services into their tender mercies….like ‘single payer’ health care.

Imagine your typical USPS government employee in charge of your health care…and our local USPS employees are indeed typical government employees.

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/16/2018 at 11:07 AM

@6 lanny… For sure. At a recent party, I was serenaded by a woman who said she cried going to work because he hated it so much.

Below is a quote from a 1965 speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King, which should be practiced not only by their employees but by everyone:

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

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lanny 01/16/2018 at 12:33 PM

#7 – Words are nice – but imagine the typical government employee as the gate keeper to your health care, as they are for veterans: .

Why do people keep insisting that more government is better for us?

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crd 01/16/2018 at 1:53 PM

http://www.nbc12.com/story/37275703/postal-service-theres-no-time-frame-for-reopening-church-hill-post-office

Channel 12 has an update, and there is no timeframe for opening it back up.

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tony 01/16/2018 at 1:58 PM

The government already handles medicare and medicaid, i got no problem with government employees handling health insurance,better than a company who puts profit over people. seems like this lanny and Trump sure like to sh*t on some government employees, but only the ones they want to put in a bad light. military folks are government employees, but don’t see you throwing sh*t at them. wonder why? Wishing Blessings to ALL our governmental employees

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lanny 01/16/2018 at 4:55 PM

#10 – LOL!

I spent 20+ years as a federal employee so I know how the system “works.” And I didn’t sh-t on some government USPS employees but pointed out that many others here have done so.

And even when the government employees are at a higher level than I was, say an M.D., there are problems at least in the areas in which they are involved in delivering health access or health treatment (which are different). Lots of previous media coverage of how poorly that works for veterans; and quite recently the charming story of an M.D. who left a scalpel behind after surgery: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/16/an-army-vet-found-a-scalpel-in-his-gut-4-years-after-va-hospital-surgery/?utm_term=.3bf99d82f1ca

For a long time after Obamacare became the law of the land I was ready to sh-t on Jonathan Gruber…no more.

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Eric S. Huffstutler 03/20/2018 at 8:51 AM

Ok… Christmas reopening has come and gone. Josh Bilder was supposed to have made multiple repairs. The Post Office has the option to break their lease which expires next year. And it still remains closed.

Signs of the times? Like with Farm Fresh now closing, it is said they have not made a profit since 1998 and not cutting the strings with no “grocery” replacement options since there are other stores so close by. Just like there are other Post Office options close by.

Any updates?

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Eric S. Huffstutler 04/06/2018 at 7:43 AM

I noticed a new Times-Dispatch article this morning but, still no new news. Does anyone have inside information? One thing a bit odd, Josh Bilder “refused” to answer questions. Does anyone know how to contact the Postal representative, Freda Sauter, mentioned in the article?

They also mentioned McEachin being the spokesman who is advocating getting the location opened back up soon. But, he became a no-show not long after the original closing, with no new updates from him and not answering people’s emails or phone calls.

I still can’t help but think that the Post Office is just letting their lease clock run out.

Bilder should just cut his losses and help them find a new location then, tear down that building and build something new on the spot along with the valuable unused land associated with it. It is a prime retail location which has the extremely rare opportunity for off-street parking!

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Eric S. Huffstutler 04/09/2018 at 5:36 PM

Still nothing new. I have noticed that the mobile truck unit seems to now have short hours? Every time I drive by, the roof is down more than up.

Again, I still feel that they are just letting the lease run out. It expires March 31st of next year. Unlike some towns where they have only one post office nearby (Louisa, for example, has three, one in town and the other two 5 and 12 miles apart), we are blessed with many options close by and throw temper tantrums over trivial things because it inconveniences us just a little bit.

There are several options within a couple miles and many others that sell books of stamps locally. The closest full-service office to us is at 700 E Main, only 1 mile away (walking distance) and on the bus line… and is closer than where our mail is being delivered from!

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