Northfield's Downtown Post Office Gets a Reprieve

Call it a reprieve.

The Northfield City Council learned Tuesday that the U.S. Postal Service is not currently moving forward with selling the post office in , meaning the facility will remain open for business indefinitely.

“The status of the facility is status quo,” said Councilor Suzie Nakasian, who is a member of the city’s task force.

That news came in a letter from postal officials to people working for Congressman John Kline (R-MN).

How long the post office will remain “status quo” is unknown, however.

Since August, city officials had been operating under the premise that the Postal Service would close the downtown post office, sell the historical building and move postal operations to the USPS postal annex at 2101 Cannon Rd. in Northfield’s south end. In an to Mayor Mary Rossing, the Postal Service declined an offer to purchase the Bridge Square office for $1 and rent space to the USPS for free.

The city learned early this year that the USPS—mired in billions of dollars in debt—would close the Bridge Square post office in a cost-cutting movement. In response, residents formed the Save Our Post Office group to lobby government and postal officials to keep the postal facility open is some form.

During their Tuesday meeting, councilors said they should use the “status quo” time period to work on a plan to keep a postal presence downtown, as well as to how to redevelop the historic 75-year-old building once it ceases to be a USPS facility.

Councilor Erica Zweifel suggested that issues surrounding the post office be discussed in an upcoming council work session.