by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Bring in your packages, your birthday cards, your overnight documents, your grandchild’s present — the new Downtown post office at Sundrez in the Jacksonville Landing will be able to handle them all.
The new contract post office opened Wednesday morning, bringing back a service that hasn’t had a Downtown presence since 2003 when the location in the Federal Courthouse closed.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Sundrez owner Doug Ganson. “It’s been a long road, but it will definitely have an impact on Downtown, the Landing and Sundrez.”
Prior to the Sundrez at the Landing location, the nearest post office was on Kings Road — a short drive for many Downtown businesses and residents. Now, Ganson said, people will be able to make the short walk to the Landing for their mailing needs.
Ganson believes that 75 percent of the post office business will come from local businesses, with the other 25 percent coming from Downtown residents. Based on studies that were done preceding the opening by U.S. Postal Service officials, Ganson said that once word gets out he anticipates around 100 people a day to use the service. Within a year, the number should jump to 200–300 people.
“There definitely is a need for a Downtown post office,” he said. “Businesses were begging for one.”
Ganson credits those Downtown businesses for applying pressure to government agencies to jumpstart discussion of the new facility. The process began in January and culminated with Wednesday’s opening.
The contract post office is able to handle almost any customer mailing need with a few exceptions. The post office will not offer P.O. boxes, passports or postal money orders — though Sundrez does offer money order services — and packages also cannot exceed 70 pounds. Additionally, both the post office and Sundrez sell stamps but only the post office sells postage.
For those who need help packaging an item, the store has all the needed packing materials and staff will provide assistance.
“Almost whatever you need, we should have it,” said Ganson. “We’ve got the boxes, tape, bubble wrap and everything else all in store.”
Post office and Sundrez hours are slightly different, though.
To accommodate the post office, Ganson is opening the doors at 8:30 a.m., the earliest for the Landing, and the post office will be operated 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.– 8:30 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.– 8 p.m. on Saturday and noon– 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Sundrez also is shifting its hours slightly, and will be open 8:30 a.m.– 8:00 p.m. Monday–Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.– 9 p.m. on Thursday, 8:30 a.m.– 11 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.– 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon – 6 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information on the post office or Sundrez, call 356-8078.
356-2466