Brighton Beach Post Office Still At Risk


by on Oct 20th, 2009
(Photo courtesy of Daily News)

(Photo courtesy of Daily News)

Though the NY Times recently reported that no Brooklyn Post Office branches are among the 16 New York City offices facing closures, one southern Brooklyn branch is still at risk for other reasons and postal authorities have not planned to accommodate its out-of-luck clients.

According to Don Brown, Community Board 15′s liaison to the United States Postal Service, authorities overseeing the Brighton Beach Post Office have negotiated a six-month extension to the retail station’s lease, following the news in May that it would shut down on December 31, 2009.  Though Brighton residents can breathe a sigh of relief until June 2010, Brown says USPS is making little headway in finding a new location.

Trouble emerged when Kaytus LLC, the new landlords of 3157 Coney Island Avenue, refused to renew the lease after more than 30 years in the location. According to Brown, Kaytus was seeking an “exorbitant” amount in excess of 30 percent of market value. With the federal agency bleeding money across the nation, postal authorities nixed any deal with the landlord and began looking elsewhere. Hampering the search are strict guidelines for finding a new location.

“It’s a matter of finding a building with the proper size and structure to accomodate their needs,” said Brown. Despite a neighborhood of empty buildings and stalled developments, the post office can’t catch a break.

Making matters worse, authorities haven’t drawn up plans to accommodate patrons of the Brighton Breach location when it closes, leaving no choice but to flood the Sheepshead Bay branch on East 18th Street, which recently reduced hours. Brown said that temporary trailers and other options have been discussed to no avail.

“Certain things have come up as possibilities, but nothing that seems viable,” he said. “There is a problem as to what alternatives [clients] have, and it’s possible they may have to flow to [the Sheepshead Bay Post Office], but ultimately I think there’ll be a solution.

While Brown remains optimistic, neighbors in both Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay have fingers crossed. With eight months on the clock, can the United States Post Office find a location in Brighton Beach?

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  • local broker

    if they want to pay less rent they are going to have to move further north on coney away from brighton beach ave for rents to be cheaper.

  • local broker

    if they want to pay less rent they are going to have to move further north on coney away from brighton beach ave for rents to be cheaper.

  • Andrew Kent

    When essential public services are held hostage by greedy landlords and developers, the government should take the property under Eminent Domain, pay the extortionists its fair market value, and then sell the eventually appreciated poperty to another buyer with covenants and easements that protect the People’s interests in perpetuity. The City should do this with Coney Island, and the USPS should do this with the Brghton Post Office site. Invoking property rights to muscle public agencies and community resources is nothing short of legalized thuggery, and it’s time for the People to give these greedy opportunists a dose of their own medicine.

  • Andrew Kent

    When essential public services are held hostage by greedy landlords and developers, the government should take the property under Eminent Domain, pay the extortionists its fair market value, and then sell the eventually appreciated poperty to another buyer with covenants and easements that protect the People’s interests in perpetuity. The City should do this with Coney Island, and the USPS should do this with the Brghton Post Office site. Invoking property rights to muscle public agencies and community resources is nothing short of legalized thuggery, and it’s time for the People to give these greedy opportunists a dose of their own medicine.

  • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

    AMEN

  • Arthur B

    AMEN

  • http://www.beachshorts.net beach shorts

    Maybe I don’t understand the importance, because I don’t go to the post office much. I wonder, how much will this affect people? Is this a big deal because people will have to drive further from home? I don’t understand.