US Postal Service to re-evaluate plans for Coralville post office

United States Postal Service officials are taking a second look at their plans to relocate Coralville's main post office.

U.S. Postal Service Real Estate Specialist Angela Kuhl said in a. Aug. 22 letter to Coralville Mayor Jim Fausett they plan to re-evaluate options for retail customer service, following concern expressed by citizens at a public meeting earlier this month.

Coralville Mayor Jim Fausett, who attend the meeting,  said he's pleased officials are reconsidering their plans. Fausett said Kuhl indicated another letter will be sent to officials outlining more specific plans of where to house their retail customer services, which include PO Boxes.

Last month, the US Postal service notified Coralville it intended to shift retail customer service and carrier operations from its 10

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 Avenue and Fifth Street location to the agency's annex building on James Street.

Fausett said many citizens were concerned the  potential move of retail customer services  to the James Street location would be inaccessible, having to trek across railroad tracks in an area without sidewalks and a nearby bus route.

"Unless you have a car, you aren't able to get to the post office and that was the main concern," Fausett said on Thursday.

Iowa City's post office is also undergoing similar plans to move from the Iowa City post office on Clinton Street to a smaller location downtown.

Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek also received a letter from Kuhl, according to city documents,  indicating plans to proceed with relocating to a smaller facility. In the letter, Kuhl said officials plan to relocate to an existing building.

 Both moves are to save money, said Richard Watkins, a Postal Service spokesman.

"It has to be (cost effective) but that doesn't mean that it's beyond all other considerations, that it's the only thing we look at," Watkins said, of the postal services's re-evaluation. "We have to spend our customer's money wisely."

Efforts to downsize follow the agency's financial woes over the last few years.

Fausett said after city officials receive information on more specific plans for retail customer services in Coralville, the city and residents will have a 30-day opportunity to hold another public meeting or individually reply to post office officials.