State Legislature Urges Postal Service to Stop Sale of Berkeley Post Office

(Sacramento) – Tuesday, May 21st, the California State Legislature took an unusual step by passing a measure that urges the United States Postal Service (USPS) to rescind its proposal to sell the Berkeley Main Post Office building, located at 2000 Allston Way. 

Senate Joint Resolution 12, authored by Senator Loni Hancock and Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, was initiated after the USPS unilaterally decided to relocate and sell the historic building that is located in the heart of Downtown Berkeley. 

Built in 1914, the Berkeley Main Post Office has many significant historical features, including  a bas-relief sculpture and a mural from President Franklin Roosevelt's public art program, a designation as a City of Berkeley Landmark (1980), a listing on the National Register of Historic Places (1980), and a listing on the National Register as a significant contributor to Berkeley’s Civic Center Historic District (1998).  

Unfortunately, the USPS continues to move forward with the sale despite the City of Berkeley’s requests to suspend efforts for one year to allow the City and USPS to work together to find an alternative solution.  Those efforts would put a historic building up for sale and close down a post office that serves over 100,000 people a year at its central downtown location, less than one block from one of the Bay Area’s major transit hubs.

Read or download Senate Joint Resolution 12.

State Senator Loni Hancock

California Senate Joint Resolution 12