USPS closing main Detroit PO on Fort Street?

I was just reading this article from the Wall Street Journal about the USPS closing several hundred stations - many rural, but some urban and suburban too. I went to look over the listing provided, and one is listed as "General Post Office, Detroit, 48233." As far as I know, the Main PO [[George W. Young Building) is the only office in that zip code. What services/facilities are still in use at this building? Since they built the Metroplex way out in the boondocks, does any mail sorting [[or other mail handling for that matter) still take place on Fort Street?

Side note, I knew these already, but these other Detroit offices are scheduled to close:

Linwood Sta
Detroit
MI
48206
Penobscot Postal Store
Detroit
MI
48226
General Post Office
Detroit
MI
48233
Det Amc Finan
Detroit
MI
48242
Detroit Metropolitan Airport
Detroit
MI
48242

Here's the full article from the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...352599050.html
And the current list of closures: http://online.wsj.com/public/resourc..._20110124.html

Yeah, as I remember it, local forces dictated that the GPO provided Detroiters with too many jobs. Those jobs belong in Oakland County, so they're moving it up to Pontiac.

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Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Yeah, as I remember it, local forces dictated that the GPO provided Detroiters with too many jobs. Those jobs belong in Oakland County, so they're moving it up to Pontiac.

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I'm sorry, but if that's true, that's ******. The main branch post office should be in Detroit, as it has always been. One time I had to mail an important letter after hours, and Detroit's main branch on Fort Street was the only PO open that could postmark a letter all the way until midnight.

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Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Yeah, as I remember it, local forces dictated that the GPO provided Detroiters with too many jobs. Those jobs belong in Oakland County, so they're moving it up to Pontiac.

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Yeah, to fairly represent the "Michigan Metroplex"... Hilarious.

USPS closing main Detroit PO on Fort Street?</SPAN>

Main PO's address is 1401 West Fort Street
Detroit, MI 48216.
This isn't on the WJ's list

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Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, to fairly represent the "Michigan Metroplex"... Hilarious.

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What? You gotta problem with L. Brooks-style "regionalism"? ;)

This USPS White Pages page lists the 1401 Fort location as 48233. Could it be that just one portion of this building [[likely the retail outlet) is 48233 while the offices portion of the building itself is 48216?

http://usps.whitepages.com/post_office/48233

It would be a bummer if this closed. When I worked downtown, I used to stop here regularly to mail letters at the boxes on Fort, and when I had an item that needed specific postage or was oversize, I went inside.

Since they're also closing the PO facilities in the RenCen and Penobscot, if the one in the main PO closes, where else near downtown could one stop to send out packages, get postage, etc.?

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Originally Posted by BrushStart

I'm sorry, but if that's true, that's ******. The main branch post office should be in Detroit, as it has always been. One time I had to mail an important letter after hours, and Detroit's main branch on Fort Street was the only PO open that could postmark a letter all the way until midnight.

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Use to be 24 hr too.

Up at Milwaukee off Woodward. Won't that be nice? The closest post office to downtown Detroit will be a small community post office two miles north of downtown. This can't be real ...

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Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, to fairly represent the "Michigan Metroplex"... Hilarious.

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So how do you explain similar relocations around the country?

that sucks,

I do a lot of shipping through ebay and such and its important to have post office branches nearby. I certainly hope they would keep at least one in the immediate downtown for all the businesses and growing residential population. I understand the need to cut cuts but cmon they have to have ONE.

The only way to keep it our GPO would seem to be to raise holy hell with the USPS. Downtown Detroit needs 24-hour mail service, and a large sorting facility with the staff to handle April 15. They have their act together there, and will let you drive up and drop off your taxes until midnight on April 15 to keep Fort Street clear.

Just goes to show how upside down metro Detroit is.

"and will let you drive up and drop off your taxes until midnight on April 15 to keep Fort Street clear."

But new hours are posted on the front doors and they say the P.O. closes at 10:00 PM now.

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Originally Posted by MikeM

So how do you explain similar relocations around the country?

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I'm unaware of any other region in the country that uses a Metroplex postmark except Dallas which branded the term "Metroplex". And I certainly don't know of any region where the postmark was changed to de-emphasize the region's central city [[e.g. going from a "Detroit" postmark to "Michigan Metroplex"). I don't work for the post office, so I could very well be missing something. But a quick Google of Metroplex shows that Detroit... Er, "Michigan" is the only one.

So are they keeping the post office and moving the sorting facility?

Last year, not even the Capitol Hill PO was open till midnight/24 hours anymore, even on 4/15. I was told that was part of a national cost-cutting effort. I don't know if Detroit was different, but I doubt it.

The only late-night option, it seems, is to e-file, as the telephone extension filing system has been discontinued.

They were considering taking Hamtramck's post office away. We raised hell and they backed off.

They're doing this all over the country. I know they have to find ways to cut costs, but I'm kind of wondering if they're using this as a scare tactic to raise federal funding. It could be similar to the tactic of saying we can't raise the debt limit and we'll have to shut down the government. It never happens. [[Well, it did happen that one time for several days.) Public outrage goes a long way and is often used as a last resort.

Sidenote: since we moved to the Metroplex for nearly all of SE Michigan's mail sorting, the postmark really sucks. Sometimes you can't even read it. It seems like not too long ago, most places at least still used a circular cancellation stamp that was legible. Now they just print letters and they look like shit. What's the point of the "happy holidays" cancellation for the holiday season or the various other ones they use when you can't even read them?

Cancellation note aside: I was down on vacation passing through the Cumberland Gap last year and we detoured out of the way to actually go to the little down of Cumberland Gap, TN, which has been completely bypassed by the highway. We dropped in a local antique store and found out from the shopkeep that the local postmaster would hand cancel postcards mailed from the Cumberland Gap PO if you buy your stamps there. Sure enough, we walked down the block and wrote ourselves postcards and had them hand canceled "Cumberland Gap, TN, USPS." Very cool and certainly not something you could do everywhere.

Naif that I am, I tried calling them, but no one answered.

Fun Fact: If you do a Google map search for 48216, the rumored main post office for Detroit, the street view at that location is of Honey Bee Market, which is apparently situated on a very well-kept street [[insider tip).

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Originally Posted by Rocko

Sidenote: since we moved to the Metroplex for nearly all of SE Michigan's mail sorting, the postmark really sucks. Sometimes you can't even read it. It seems like not too long ago, most places at least still used a circular cancellation stamp that was legible. Now they just print letters and they look like shit. What's the point of the "happy holidays" cancellation for the holiday season or the various other ones they use when you can't even read them?

Cancellation note aside: I was down on vacation passing through the Cumberland Gap last year and we detoured out of the way to actually go to the little down of Cumberland Gap, TN, which has been completely bypassed by the highway. We dropped in a local antique store and found out from the shopkeep that the local postmaster would hand cancel postcards mailed from the Cumberland Gap PO if you buy your stamps there. Sure enough, we walked down the block and wrote ourselves postcards and had them hand canceled "Cumberland Gap, TN, USPS." Very cool and certainly not something you could do everywhere.

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I'm pretty sure you can do that in Hell, Michigan as well.

Some of the large city post offices were located so as to be near the railroad station[[s) to facilitate interface with the RPO system. It would make sense now to locate them near the major airports for airmail and near the interstates for truck delivered mail.

The configurations of larger urban post offices may also be functionally obsolete with lack of semitrailer access to loading docks built for smaller box trucks, handing facilities spread over several floors, lack of space and power for automated sorting and cancellation, lack of employee and customer parking, etc.

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Originally Posted by Hermod

The configurations of larger urban post offices may also be functionally obsolete with lack of semitrailer access to loading docks built for smaller box trucks, handing facilities spread over several floors, lack of space and power for automated sorting and cancellation, lack of employee and customer parking, etc.

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Downtown's GPO had all of that already. Semitrailer access, ramps, plenty of employee parking, etc.

Have either the Freep or News or Crains said anything yet??

It seems odd that if the main post office were to close that we haven't heard a peep from any of them...

Yeah, this has been in the works for a while. Can anybody find the original thread and link to it?

Here's one, but I think there was another prior to it:

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...g...&highlight=

Related:

http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/vie...hp?f=8&t=20027

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Some of the large city post offices were located so as to be near the railroad station[[s) to facilitate interface with the RPO system.

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The site of Detroit's current main Post Office was actually for this very reason, directly aside the entry tracks for Fort Street Union Station, which at the time served both C&O/B&O and Wabash passenger trains, all of which carried RPO's. The C&O even pioneered the use of "truc-trains," early Triple-Crown style trailers which carried mail directly to Grand Rapids and Chicago [[and not worked en-route). The Post Office also had facilities adjacent to the MC Station. I believe the building that poor guy fell down the elevator shaft in and was encased in ice in was an old postal facility. Right next to that now-abandoned building is another old postal facility, which is still owned by USPS and is where they repair and maintain their postal trucks locally.

Gistok - We have to talk it up on this forum before the Freep and News will publish an article on the subject!

I am sure the lobby of the main post office will stay open, just the sorting of the mail will move on to the metroplex. With the drop in first-class mail[[where most of the profit has been) the P.O. is forced to consolidate sorting operations. Junk mail is basically a break even type of thing with their postage rates being so low that is doesn't make much money for the P.O. and if you charged them at the current first-class rate, they would mail a lot less. There will always be a need for a P.O., but just not the way he has been.

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Originally Posted by littlebuddy

Junk mail is basically a break even type of thing with their postage rates being so low that is doesn't make much money for the P.O. and if you charged them at the current first-class rate, they would mail a lot less.

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Sounds like a good idea to me :-)

I believe the post office that is closing is the carrier facility on Vermont street in Corktown. My mail carrier used to work out of that location, and that was the place that I would go to pick up oversized packages or deal with any delivery issues. Last year, they moved these operations from the Vermont street building to the Main Post Office on Fort.

I have a PO box at the main post office on Fort, and I just got a renewal notice, so I doubt they're closing the retail part of it. Plus, it has been busy as hell since they closed the other downtown locations. It has been taking about 30 minutes in line to pick up a package lately. The PO box zipcodes are 48232, btw.

Well I'm glad to hear they're not closing the Fort retail Post Office. Since movingback has mentioned, they've closed every other PO branch downtown, the Fort PO is probably busier than before....and it was already really busy!

I remember before they were talking about the closings, they mentioned that one of the Post Offices that could possibly close was on Harper... the only Harper Ave. post office that I'm aware of is the far east side 48224 Kensington Station on Harper & Morang [[used to be located on E. Warren & Kensington in EEV)... and I'm glad it's not on the list.

48233 is sort of a bulk zip code...located at the Fort Street building...it serves all the bulk mail payment processing, etc. Ex. your bill or payment to the what ever company may have a zip of 48233 and is processed into a bulk delivery.

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Originally Posted by Gistok

I remember before they were talking about the closings, they mentioned that one of the Post Offices that could possibly close was on Harper... the only Harper Ave. post office that I'm aware of is the far east side 48224 Kensington Station on Harper & Morang [[used to be located on E. Warren & Kensington in EEV)... and I'm glad it's not on the list.

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Actually, they were talking about the Harper Station on Gratiot [[NE of Harper) by the Better Made factory. The original USPS budget cuts plans featured them closing some of the low performing stations [[based on mail volume) they leased and merging them with stations they owned. The Harper Station would have merged with the Jefferson Station [[Jefferson & Fairview).

in addition to these closings there are many new mini post offices opening in gas stations and such across our area. the convenience factor may not be lost if they locate some of the mini stations near closing stations.

I would love it for the usps semis to stop speeding down my street.

Hey post office geniuses... If you want to save money, why not centrally locate all postal services in the central city and let those who want to live 40 miles from it come in to use it instead of moving away from the denser city. This makes about as much sense as, well, anything else they tend to do.

Could there at least be a possibility of opening a post office in the Federal Building? Oh, that would actually make sense...

[[edit... didn't realize there was a second page... this is happening to me all the time now, as I never see that the comments continue!)

I would ask you to define "central city". Cental based on location? Businesses? Population? On the counterside, as people drive in 40 miles to go to the PO, mail carriers drive out 40 miles.

On another note, the USPS is becoming obsolete. Private companies have developed a better more sustainable business model and everything is going paperless anyway. I would rather have tax payer dollars go to something else. Any money that is spent on things other than sophisticated logistics equipment would be a waste like moving a post office to the Federal Building.

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Originally Posted by jtf1972

Hey post office geniuses... If you want to save money, why not centrally locate all postal services in the central city and let those who want to live 40 miles from it come in to use it instead of moving away from the denser city.

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Until the past few years it's always been that way. On an episode of King Of The Hill Hank said he had to take a letter up to Dallas [[I.E. their region's main post office).

Stations do nothing more than deliver the mail. Everything else is/was handled at the main post office, which until recently were always in the city center.

Not good:

From The Detroit News:

September 16. 2011 1:02AM
U.S. Postal Service may shut 7 state processing facilities

Darren A. Nichols/ The Detroit News

The financially strapped U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday it may close more than 250 processing facilities, including one in Detroit and six others statewide.

The move is part of sweeping changes that could end overnight delivery of first-class mail, and comes as the service pleads with Congress to solve a funding crisis.

Competition from online and other services has reduced postal volume by 43 billion items in the past five years, and the agency lost $8.5 billion last year.

"We are radically realigning the way we process and deliver the mail," said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. "With the dramatic decline in mail volume and the resulting excess capacity, maintaining a vast national infrastructure is no longer realistic."

The plan would save some $3 billion a year and also close centers in Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Iron Mountain and two in Saginaw.

Detroit's main post office branch on Fort Street would remain open to customers, but its processing center would close.

Ed Moore, a Postal Service spokesman from Detroit, said the city's processing operations are used only four to eight hours a day, rather than 20 at its peak years ago.

"The rest of the time the machinery is sitting idle," Moore said. "It's to be moreefficient and to maximize the facility space, equipment we have and to take a lot of the costs out of the system. The whole intention here is to have employees remain employed with the Postal Service."

The plan, which requires congressional approval, would downsize the service's national transportation network. It also would cut first-class delivery from the current standard of one to three days — depending on distance — to a looser standard of two to three days.

Unions are gearing for a fight.

Christopher Ulmer, president of the American Postal Workers Union's Detroit district, called new service standards "unacceptable" and said he fears delays in delivery would be profound.

"Our immediate reaction was not outrage, but a deep sense of disappointment because the [[Detroit) facility was a pillar of southeast Michigan," Ulmer said.

"It's a big deal because they identified they cannot achieve their goals without making some changes in service standards. The Postal Service will take a step backwards. This is what makes the Postal Service so great is [[that) we have standards and we meet those standards."

The move comes after Donahoe warned the Senate this month that the service is on the "brink of default" and urged Congress to pass emergency measures by Sept. 30 to loosen regulations and allow it to run more like a business.

Without legislation, the Postal Service would default on a $5.5 billion retiree health benefit payment due this month and run out of money to pay salaries next year, Donahoe said.

Postal officials said 252 of 487 mail-processing facilities across the country will be reviewed over the next three months for possible closure.

At stake are some 35,000 jobs in the agency that is funded through postage and other services rather than federal subsidies.

Officials said the changes could most impact commercial mailers and promised to work with businesses to minimize problems.

The Postal Service is also eyeing an end to Saturday mail delivery.

The announcement follows an earlier one that the agency is reviewing about 3,700 post offices for closure, including 10 in Detroit and one apiece in Ferndale, Highland Park and Pontiac.

Some fear the potential shutdown could have devastating effects on Detroit, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

"It's a bit ironic that the U.S. Postal Service is [[leaving) the largest city in the state where many of my seniors and our aging community are still using the traditional Postal Service programs," said state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who represents southwest Detroit residents who use the Springwells post office that's scheduled for closure.

"The Springwells office is always packed with people. They are using international mail, money orders [[and) passports. People use the post office to pay bills and other essential services. It's very disappointing they are taking it away from a community that are low income [[who) rely on U.S. offices being there to help with their daily lives."

Charlie Koloian, who lives in southwest Detroit, said residents like him rely on the Postal Service for a host of services beyond stamps, and he's worried about potential closures.

"There are a lot of older people and a Hispanic community who live in the area, and not everybody has a computer that can email and stuff," he said. "We need a post office."

dnichols@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110916/...#ixzz1Y81OKBye

This Free Press article includes a few additional details:

Michigan postal cuts may include main Detroit processing center, 6 others


The U.S. Postal Service is considering closing the main Detroit processing center and six other facilities in Michigan as part of an agency-wide cost-cutting consolidation.

USPS announced the proposal, designed to save $3 billion a year and cut equipment by 50%, on Thursday.

More than 1,320 at the Detroit processing center at 1401 W. Fort Street would be either reassigned to the Michigan Metroplex processing facility in Pontiac or other open positions, Detroit USPS spokesman Ed Moore said today. The facility's mail processing has dropped by half in the last five years, down to 1 million pieces a night from about 2 million, Moore said.

Other Michigan facilities under consideration for closure include mail centers in Jackson, Iron Mountain, Kalamazoo, Lansing and two in Saginaw. The 225 employees at Jackson are part of the USPS' Detroit region and will also be reassigned, Moore said.

"We’re not looking at any layoffs at the time," Moore said. "Nothing is off the table, but it’s a contractual thing. We’re looking at having some of them moved or taking other positions within the Postal Service."

The proposal includes shuttering about 250 facilities in the U.S. and dramatically decreasing the transportation network. Mail volume has declined by 43 million pieces in the past five years, according to the agency.

“We are forced to face a new reality today,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in an announcement about the plan issued Thursday. “With the dramatic decline in mail volume and the resulting excess capacity, maintaining a vast national infrastructure is no longer realistic."

The facilities could close as early as March 2012, Moore said.

The postal service lost $8.5 billion last year, Moore said. And the postal service is poised to default at the end of the month on a $5.5 billion annual prepayment for postal service retiree health benefits, he added.

The United State Postal Services lost approx 85 billion dollars last year.

They need to make severe cuts and understand the reality. People are using the internet more.


They can increase stamps to 75 cents, cut half the staff, delivery the mail only 3 times a week.

HistoryNotHisStory, they lost $8.5 billion last year, not $85 billion. Just clarifying.

... I wonder, for organizations/agencies that are detroit and immediate-vicinity located who do bulk mail shipments periodically [[i used to be involved with this), will they be expected to go to Pontiac? Especially with the 'hiccups' that I occasionally encountered getting stuff sent off [[very very specific rules on labeling/packaging the items to be shipped), I can see this being even more of a roadblock..

We have two threads, here, wherein this matter is being discussed.

Every time I see a lot of post office closures, I hope that my post office - the North End Post Office on E. Milwaukee, is on the list of closures. It's filthy in and out, plexiglass barriers, poor and sometimes non-existent service, rude employees [[not all, and not all the time) and more.