Business & Tech
Wait a Minute Mr. Postman...
Residents are stumped, looking for answers to why there is a 'For Sale' sign on the village post office.
Swing by the only in the Village of Evergreen Park, 9359 S Kedzie Ave., and you'll notice two words.
For sale.
“It doesn't make me feel good,” said Elizabeth Sowa, a resident of Evergreen Park for over 30 years. “It makes me feel less stable.”
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After calling the phone number on the sign, a representative said someone will contact Evergreen Park Patch with more information.
Follow up calls to the phone number we're not returned.
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For months now, USPS has been in negotiations with Ozinga, the owners of the building.
Ozinga, founded in Evergreen Park in 1928, supplies ready-mix concrete throughout Chicago and the Northwest Indiana areas.
Phone calls to Ozinga's main office and Illinois suburbs office were not returned.
While Ozinga did not make its intent clear, USPS is looking to lease the property until March 2012.
“I didn't realize a government agency only rented this property,” Sowa said. “I've often times thought it's not the best location.”
Currently, the Evergreen Park post office delivers to 8,400 locations including residents and businesses on over 30 different routes.
Residents have only noticed the for sale sign in the last couple of months, though the building has been up for sale for a couple of years now, Mayor James Sexton said.
“I don't know what this means,” said Maureen Daw, also an Evergreen Park resident for over 30 years. “How will it affect daily life if there's no post office?”
Along with FedEx and UPS stores, U.S. Post Offices nearest Evergreen Park are located in Oak Lawn, Bridgeview and Worth.
“I don't want to have to go to the Worth post office,” Daw said. “It's a hell of a hike.”
Building Commissioner Ed Clohessy understands the concern of Evergreen Park residents, but he said the village will not get involved until the building is sold. He couldn't speculate about the ongoing negotiations, either.
“There is nothing unusual about this,” Clohessy added. “It's difficult in this day and age.”
Total revenue for USPS last year was $580 million, said Mark Reynolds, for the post office in Chicago.
“We'd like to stay [on Kedzie Avenue],” Reynolds added. “It would be the most optimal location for that area.”
Outside the post office, just before the doors close at 6 p.m., the parking lot empties. Inside, a customer makes their way through the gated line.
Without the "For Sale" sign, it might seem like the end to another common delivery day.
“All of these empty buildings, like at [shopping center], concern me,” Sowa said. “With the economy, it's like this is all tied together.”
