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Like many other homes and businesses, Geneva’s post office is on the market.
At Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, concerned residents gathered in the City Council chambers to listen to plans for the U.S. Postal Service office.
Robert Hart, district manager for the Northern Illinois District of the U.S. Postal Service, said they are looking to move the office to a smaller location, but reiterated many times they wanted to stay in the historic downtown district.
“As we move forward with our plans, there are no plans (of) closing down the postal office (in Geneva),” Hart said.
Hart said with the strain of the economy and volume dropping, the Postal Service is looking for opportunities everywhere to cut expenses.
Marla Larson Williams, a real estate specialist for the Postal Service’s Great Lakes region, said they will be putting the building on the market within a few days and look for “fair market value.”
Williams said if the newer buyer will let them stay in the same location but scaled back 2,000 feet, they will try that.
“We are not leaving the community,” Williams said. “We will look in the downtown area if the purchaser does not want us to stay in the building.”
The current post office, which was built in 1936, is 5,700 square feet.
Williams said they are not looking for more than a 10-year lease in any building into which they would move. They also are looking to only move into an existing building instead of starting a new construction.
Many people in the audience were concerned about the mural, “Fish Fry in the Park,” in the post office. Williams said while they will not let the mural leave Geneva, it will depend on where they can find a home for it.
Williams said it is improbable the mural will stay in the post office, as the 14-foot by 9-foot mural may be too big for the new 2000 square foot complex.
Margaret Selakovich, an educator at the Geneva History Center, said at the meeting that the sale frustrates her due to how much she likes going by the office on her walking tours of Geneva.
“It’s probably the best part of my tour,” Selakovich said. “But truly, we have to take care of this mural. It’s part of Geneva’s history.”
Mayor Kevin Burns said the mural is at “the top of the mind” of Geneva officials, and was the first thing they asked about when they heard about the post office moving.
Like many other homes and businesses, Geneva’s post office is on the market.
At Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, concerned residents gathered in the City Council chambers to listen to plans for the U.S. Postal Service office.
Robert Hart, district manager for the Northern Illinois District of the U.S. Postal Service, said they are looking to move the office to a smaller location, but reiterated many times they wanted to stay in the historic downtown district.
“As we move forward with our plans, there are no plans (of) closing down the postal office (in Geneva),” Hart said.
Hart said with the strain of the economy and volume dropping, the Postal Service is looking for opportunities everywhere to cut expenses.
Marla Larson Williams, a real estate specialist for the Postal Service’s Great Lakes region, said they will be putting the building on the market within a few days and look for “fair market value.”
Williams said if the newer buyer will let them stay in the same location but scaled back 2,000 feet, they will try that.
“We are not leaving the community,” Williams said. “We will look in the downtown area if the purchaser does not want us to stay in the building.”
The current post office, which was built in 1936, is 5,700 square feet.
Williams said they are not looking for more than a 10-year lease in any building into which they would move. They also are looking to only move into an existing building instead of starting a new construction.
Many people in the audience were concerned about the mural, “Fish Fry in the Park,” in the post office. Williams said while they will not let the mural leave Geneva, it will depend on where they can find a home for it.
Williams said it is improbable the mural will stay in the post office, as the 14-foot by 9-foot mural may be too big for the new 2000 square foot complex.
Margaret Selakovich, an educator at the Geneva History Center, said at the meeting that the sale frustrates her due to how much she likes going by the office on her walking tours of Geneva.
“It’s probably the best part of my tour,” Selakovich said. “But truly, we have to take care of this mural. It’s part of Geneva’s history.”
Mayor Kevin Burns said the mural is at “the top of the mind” of Geneva officials, and was the first thing they asked about when they heard about the post office moving.
First Ward Alderman Sam Hill said he’s sorry to hear about the post office having to move, and hopes they can find a new location the community can benefit from. Hill also said he thinks the old building still could be useful for artistic or museum purposes.
Second Ward Alderman Bob Piper asked Williams whether the city had any input into where they might move.
Williams said they will be willing to talk it out, saying they want to get the best deal, but “don’t want to cut our nose off toward the community.”
Hart and Williams said a press release more details should be coming out this week explaining the process.
