Downtown Post Office Getting A Change Of Address

[FloridaFuture]

Downtown Post Office Getting A Change Of Address
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By LINDSAY WILKES-EDRINGTON The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 29, 2007

TAMPA - A downtown post office is moving from its relatively remote location on North Florida Avenue to one of the busiest intersections downtown, the corner of Ashley Drive and Kennedy Boulevard.

The United States Postal Service signed a lease this week to open a full-service site at 401 N. Ashley Drive, formerly the home of National Wall Art Gallery at the northeast corner of Ashley and Kennedy.

It will replace the post office at 925 N. Florida Ave., which will be demolished to make room for a parking garage planned for the remodeled Floridan Hotel.

Work is expected to start immediately on the new 4,200-square-foot post office, said Claire Calzon, managing director for Colliers Arnold, which owns the building. Plans call for it to open no later than October.

National Wall Art Gallery owner Hal Leek said he was already planning to relocate his business when asked in May to back out of the lease nearly 18 months early to accommodate the post office.

There's not much street parking around Ashley and Kennedy, but that doesn't bother those familiar with the move.

The new location is perfect for foot traffic, said Paul Ayres, marketing director with the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

"It will be convenient to major businesses and extremely accessible to office towers, residents and visitors," he said.

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB7XMXZH3F.html

[jonknee]

That's a much more central location and I had been wondering why the gallery left.

[JBrisco]

I hope they design a good parking garage similar to the Ybor ones.
Match the Florida Hotel architecture just a little please...

[dmpeek77]

I wonder why they are painting the port office if they are going to demo. They have been painting the outside for over two weeks

[jonknee]

^ the workers just finished up mopping the deck of the Titanic and had some time to kill.

[FloridaFuture]

New post office site poses parking problems
By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published July 13, 2007

The post office is moving to a busy intersection ideal for walkup traffic, but burdensome for drivers who will have to park at least a block away.

Signs inside the U.S. Postal Service, at 925 N Florida Ave., say operations will cease at that location by the end of October. The new site will open at 401 N Ashley Drive, the former location of National Wall Art Gallery, near Kennedy Boulevard.

It's too soon to give an opening date for the new site, said postal spokesman Gary Sawtelle, but it will be later this year.

Clearwater developer Antonios Markopoulos, who is transforming the dilapidated Floridan Hotel, purchased the property that's home to the post office. His attorney, Lisa Shasteen, said he plans to use the lot to build a ballroom and for parking.

The post office's lease expires this month. Shasteen said the post office may remain there for several more weeks.

Markopoulos wants to complete construction on the Floridan by year's end, Shasteen said.

"It seems like we're on schedule," she said.

Not everyone is happy about the coming changes.

Some customers have complained that parking at the new location won't be as convenient, post office employees said. Meters surround the current site with parking in front of the entrance.

But there are no parking spaces immediately near the entrance to the new location. Customers would have to park a block north along W Kennedy Boulevard or on N Tampa Street, or park a block west along E Madison Street.

Sawtelle said the Ashley location should be more accessible to businesses in the heart of downtown.

"One of the things that's good about it is it's going to be extremely accessible to the office towers," Sawtelle said. "It's going to be a great walkup location."

Another downtown post office exists at 401 S Florida Ave., less than a mile from the Ashley site. Sawtelle said once the new location opens, postal officials will watch to see how business is affected at the S Florida Avenue location.

"They are going to co-exist, at least for the present time," he said.

Customers with post office boxes at the N Florida Avenue location will be notified in writing 30 days before the move takes place.

Kevin Graham can be reached at kgraham@sptimes.com or 813 226-3433.

[Last modified July 12, 2007, 08:45:37]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/13/Citytimes/New_post_office_site_.shtml

[Tbpm]

Won't that create an insane traffic gridlock at Ashley and Kennedy, especially when they begin construction on the new condos and the childrens' art museum?

[jonknee]

How would the post office cause traffic problems for Ashley/Kennedy? If anything it will mean more pedestrians out on the street.

[JBrisco]

^ the workers just finished up mopping the deck of the Titanic and had some time to kill.

:lol:
I think a gridlock is going to happen elsewhere.
lol but who cares, its the businesses we care about.