Main Post Office moving near the airport?

I heard that employees of the US Postal Service (USPS) have been told that the Postal Service has purchased/acquired property off NE 82nd Avenue for a new processing facility. They already have four operations centers near the airport, one very close to the new site. This will likely result in the move of the downtown processing operations at the Main Post Office on NW Hoyt, probably in two or three years for construction.

Did you know that currently, most letters mailed in Portland go downtown for sorting, with local letters then coming back out to the neighborhood stations at which they may have been mailed? It may sound inefficient, but centralized processing turns out to be more cost-effective and accurate. I learned that while chaperoning a Markham Elementary School field trip behind the scenes at the Hoyt Street facility, at least six years ago since my youngest child will be a senior in high school next year.

The move will result in 10 acres of property on NW 7th/Hoyt/Broadway open for….?

Ten years ago, the Postal Service wanted to move, and the buzz was that Mayor Katz dissuaded them. Then the Pearl took off, and for the past several years the City seems to have been trying to pry the Post Office out of its prime site. It’s rumored a meeting between Postal Service and Portland Development Commission officials happened in Washington, DC, in April. Last weekend, US Postmaster Jack Potter was in town, and apparently the stars aligned – the convergence of the three Potters, Jack, Tom, and Harry, notes my witty informant. The deal, I’m told, is done.

So convenient that the improvement of NE 92nd has just been funded, huh?

The new facility’s site is in the Airport Way Urban Renewal District. Some are concerned about the lack of Tax Increment Funds resulting from the new construction, since the US Postal Service pays no property taxes. This lost revenue may be offset by attracting secondary businesses generating taxes. The move will relocate not only postal employees, but also the supporting companies who deal with the Post Office, especially the pre-sort houses. The result will be transfer of hundreds if not thousands of jobs to the area, providing services such as food, gas, etc., to employees. And besides, the City often gives away tax abatements to spur redevelopment in Urban Renewal Areas, and this new facility seems likely to contribute to a positive employment climate in the Airport Way area.

Some services may continue to be available to downtown businesses at the current location, even after the sorting facilities move. The box section and Business Entry unit are particularly useful to city center businesses. The Portland Development Commission owns the old post office across the street and the parking lot behind it, as well as Union Station. One PDC employee suggested that the goal was to tear down the USPS parking structure and take the park blocks all the way to the river. That is a rumor with no supporting documentation, but it is a nice idea. At the very least, relocating the Postal Service facility will reduce heavy truck transit at a major entry to one of downtown’s upscale neighborhoods, and that is likely good news for residents there.