University Station Post Office may be moving soon

Many Portland State students and faculty may soon require a new method of getting their postal service needs met.

The University Station Post Office, located just a block away from campus at 1505 SW Sixth Ave., could very well be relocating or even closing down in the near future. USPS’s lease on the building is nearing its end (with a listed expiration date of “early 2013”), and questions abound over what could happen once the lease concludes.

“We are currently in negotiations with the existing landlord,” said Ron Anderson, spokesman and customer relations coordinator for the Portland USPS. “We’re hoping to renew our lease on the existing property, and have a strong desire to remain at that location.”

A recent similar situation intimates that the outcome may not be positive. In 2005, the Pioneer Place postal station’s lease on its facility was concluding, and the General Services Administration ordered an eviction after another tenant expressed interest in the space.

Anderson said that if for some reason USPS is not able to reach an agreement with its University Station landlord, the organization is looking for other future locations as close to the current one as possible. He explained that the office doesn’t need “as much square footage” as the existing building provides, and that a smaller location might be more practical.

Anderson does not believe that these difficult situations have come about due to a lack of customer quantity at these specific Portland locations, but due to larger USPS structural issues. In 2006 the federal government mandated a retiree health fund levy on the USPS that called for pre-funding of employee pensions for an unprecedented 75 years into the future. Meanwhile, annual mail for the USPS has decreased by over 43 billion pieces in the last five years, and the company has had to close a total of 186 facilities in that period.

However, that does not change the fact that many in the University Station neighborhood will be affected by a location change or closure of the office, especially with regard to those who work or live in the area.

“People who have deadlines for applications, people who have to pay checks, student groups on campus or anyone who has anything coming to campus on an expedited basis may experience delays in getting their mail,” said Russ Ranard, mail services student supervisor at PSU. “If the postal service moves out, people who pay extra for an express overnight package might have to wait two days instead of one, for example. It would also be a burden to us at PSU Mail, in terms of logistics. Convenience and location are key to our operation.”

Ranard has been working at PSU Mailing Services for ten years, and recognizes that a location change or closure of the University Station office would inconvenience a good number of PSU students and faculty. With that possibility looming larger in recent days, PSU Mail has begun to examine possible ways in which their facility could help those who would find themselves in need.

“The post office could relocate some services to campus,” Ranard said. “That would provide not only more convenience to campus but also a revenue stream.

“We would have to ask the question, ‘Would the additional staff and equipment necessary be practical?’” Ranard explained. “Technically, we are funded by campus and are not a revenue-generating operation, although generating income is not necessarily a detriment. But convenience to campus should be a priority.”

Ranard did note that those ideas are “still in the discussion stage,” and therefore are not necessarily realistic expectations. However, he did seem hopeful that PSU Mail could provide some aid in a worst-case scenario.

“If the office does move significantly far away, we may be able to come up with some kind of on-campus service, such as a place to drop off mail and packages,” Ranard said. “Considering the fact that we are such a hub here, it seems like we would find a way to accommodate students and faculty.”