This is one of the projects Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt has been working on and many of you ask about on a consistent basis. Last we were all told was that the government run facility was planning to open back up in September. Now, the opening date is unknown.
$1 million in repairs have been done to the Post Office after it was hammered hard by Hurricane Ian. Temporary trailers opened up back in January so residents didn’t have to drive 20 miles into Fort Myers to get their mail.
Atterholt says after several attempts to get an update from his post office contacts they had gone radio silent on him. He asked for an update a month ago, then a week ago. U.S. Postal service District Manager Rich Fermo finally responded to Atterholt on Wednesday of this week. Fermo said, “Construction is ongoing and almost near completion. We do not have a move in date as of today. Soon as I hear I will let you know.”
However, just to add to the confusion, here’s what U.S. Postal Service Strategic Communications Specialist Lecia Hall told Beach Talk Radio News, “The Fort Myers Beach Post Office operates in a leased facility, and the Postal Service continues to work with the lessor, who is responsible for making repairs. There is no timeline for the resumption of services at this time. Updates will be provided as soon as additional information becomes available. Further questions should be referred to the lessor who owns the property.”
The Vice Mayor believes the delay may have something to do with whoever is responsible for the front part of the facility, not the repairs to the building, which appear to be done.
This article inadvertently makes it sound like the Fort Myers post office is up and running. I drove from the beach to downtown Fort Myers last Saturday, hoping to use the post office services there and found this building to be shuttered also and no repairs completed since the hurricane. It’s bizarre to me that the US Postal Service doesn’t seem to care that there are no facilities in the area.
It is running from trailers.