Facing staggering financial losses, the Postal Service is looking at closing as many as 1,000 offices across the country, including six in Baton Rouge. Postal officials sent a list of nearly 700 potential candidates to the independent Postal Regulatory Commission for review. Local branches named as potential closure targets are Audubon Station (Government Street), the location in the State Capitol, Commerce Park (Perkins Road), Cortana (Cortana Place), Gateway Finance (Muriel Avenue near Sherwood Forest Boulevard) and the location in the LSU Union.
The post office has been struggling with a sharp decline in mail volume as people and businesses switch to e-mail both for personal contact and bill-paying. The agency is facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss this fiscal year despite a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes. Postal Vice President Jordan Small told a congressional subcommittee that local managers will study activities of approximately 3,200 stations and branches across the country considering factors such as customer access, service standards, cost savings, impact on employees, environmental impact, real estate values and long-term Postal Service needs. No changes are expected before the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30.
There are 32,741 post offices across the country. Of those, the service launched a review of 3,200 for potential candidates for closing. For a list of all the stations being reviewed for closure, click here.
