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Broadway Corridor (Post Office Redevelopment) | Proposed
I was bored last night and ended up watching the PDC meeting from May 9th broadcast on channel 30. They were going over the budgets and discussing the Airport Way renewal when the conversation turned to the Central Post Office.
The PDC has a couple pieces of property left to sell in the Airport Way renewal that will generate about $20-$30M. A board member quizzed the presenter and the presenter basically said the infrastructure's built. The MAX is done, streetscaping, roads, it's all there. The commission then said, could that left over money go to the relocation for the Central Post Office out of the Pearl? A brief conversation between the presenter and a couple board members continued but the base line was that the PDC has to pick priorities before the district expires and right now it appears the Post Office relocation is their last big move for the area. Which will also be HUGE for the Pearl! |
That's interesting, I was just at the PO yesterday thinking how it was past due for them to be moving to the airport. I guess PDC thinks the same thing. Let's hope they really do make this a priority, because the PO will need to be coaxed into making the move. They won't move just for the good of the Pearl.
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The Downtown USPO has ...
... been in the speculation over at oregonstadiumcampaign.com site for a number of years. I didn't think a MLB stadium was the best fit for the site and the selling of the property would get the most revenue for residential development.
One point always made was that the postal service has been wanting to move out to the airport for the last ten years. I think they are just waiting for the right offer. The MLB Stadium should be at the Blanchard site and the Memorial Coliseum shell and location be the future high speed rail station/sports museum/resturants/pubs/public market. Lets petition the state to use some of the $152 Million surplus for corridor purchasing for this critical High Speed Rail right of way. EP |
^ I think transportation stuff should be funded by bonds, but I agree with the rest of your assertions, EastPDX. Although I'm not completely sold on the idea of an eastside rail station (just mostly), that area definitely needs to be reprogrammed.
I'm still not completely sold on turning the post office site into more residential tho... I could see it as being good, but are there better options for it? |
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oh shoot I didn't even notice the bird in the middle of that picture!
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^^ The difficulty I think is in the additional fuel costs for them to come and go from the airport on a daily basis.
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Being able to unload the planes directly into the mail sorting machines at the airport would save them millions in fuel costs versus shipping all of the mail downtown to be sorted, and then sending the sorted mail to the individual post offices. Remember, half of the mail ends up east of the Willamette....
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Full disclosure.... I worked for the USPS for 6 years. It makes no sense whatsoever to have the main PO away from the airport. Even the majority of the ground packages are coming from points east (as in via I-84).
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i think it was in 1967 that the USPS stopped using rail for first class mail, this is why it is located next to union station in the first place. i believe several other major cities still have major post offices like the one in portland next to the train station... philly, boston, nyc to name a few
just as a side note about the connection between rail and mail, this end of mail service by rail in 1967 is also considered to be the final straw for long distance rail, since the steady stream of money for mail service is what kept a lot of trains running. |
That's really interesting! Thanks for the info.
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main Post Office ready to move?
from Amanda Frtiz's blog
www.amandafritz.com Main Post Office moving near the airport? Posted July 31, 2007 - 8:45am 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. |
Sure would be nice to see that eyesore and parking gone. The could integrate a full service branch of the PO in a mixed use tower, then the rest of it could be new developed blocks around the park blocks. Unless they take out the new smart park, and the railroad, they really can't literally connect to the river.
http://www.pixelmap.com/images/Nav/venco/Untitled-1.jpg |
Love that pic Wonderlandpark! It took me a minute to see how it was
done! |
Downtown Post Office
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This is great news! Too bad it didn't happen five years ago- the building's might be going up today. Or, Professional Baseball anyone? |
Awesome news!!
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MLB would be fantastic in that spot now that the PPS site appears to be off the table.
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I too have always thought that spot would be great for MLB. Close to light rail, streetcar and semi-close to the freeway. It would be a very cozy environment nestled next to the pearl and the north park blocks. Now if only our mayor...
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