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MyspaceWorkers at Santa Barbara’s historic downtown post office were notified by Postal Service bosses that their current digs could soon be up for sale but that their service — and their jobs — would be maintained elsewhere. Currently, the post office only needs 6,000 square feet of the 50,000-square-foot property at 836 Anacapa Street.
Previously, postal authorities considered plans to lease out the excess square footage, but recently concluded it made more sense to sell the entire building outright. While the notice was sent out this week, it could take as long as eight months to finalize any decision to sell. Postal authorities stressed that this decision is not part of the nationwide effort to cut costs by closing postal branches.
What could go in place of the post office remains to be seen. The building, built as part of the Work Projects Administration during the Depression, is a nationally registered historic landmark, meaning that no alterations can be made to its facade. A year ago, City Hall administrators toured the property with an eye toward purchasing it after postal administrators notified them the property might be in play. At that time, there was significant interest in converting the post office into a new police headquarters.
Making the post office site less than ideal, however, was the lack of parking spaces — only 40 — and seismic concerns. Police structures must meet the very highest seismic safety standards, and it’s uncertain whether the downtown post office meets those. Back then, there was also loose talk that a well-heeled foundation might be interested in moving in or perhaps some successful corporation in search of new trophy headquarters could set up shop.
Where a new post office will settle in downtown also remains the subject of speculation. According to Santa Barbara’s fertile urban mythology, the current site was chosen at the behest of former News-Press publisher and owner Thomas Storke, in part to obliterate a onetime brothel his father allegedly frequented. Storke’s father, Charles, had coincidentally served as postmaster for Santa Barbara, then a politically powerful position, as well as state senator and mayor.
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Comments
What a cool Police Station the Post Office would make, which should be a prominent landmark.
Do it!
contactjohn (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 1:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Raze it, before an earthquake does!
Adonis_Tate (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 2:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It will probably be converted to affordable housing.
The city likes to use all prime locations for affordable housing.
loneranger (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 7:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Box holders should be very cautious. When the Milpas branch was closed and moved to Nopalitos Way, a number of business customers were assigned new box numbers despite assurances that the switch would not be disruptive and the existing numbers would be preserved at the new location. Simply put, management lied. For a business, having a box number changed can be both inconvenient and costly if it has relied on a PO box for years and has the number printed on letterhead, brochures, manuals, books, etc. Customers need to monitor this process very closely in case the same inept postal management is still in place.
anemonefish (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 10:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
BA-BYE P.O. BOX!!!!!
In six years the rate has more than double. AT least they never failed in getting me my MARBORG/COX cable junk mail, erroneous campaign flyers and Be Green recycling reminders.
So the police are actually thinking of moving into an older building... Well that makes perfect sense if certain campaign donors happen to be the unionized contractors involved in remodeling everything behind big green fences with their advertisements plastered all over it!.
BBOY (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Lease part of it to UPS and FedEx.
Or teacher housing
passagerider (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is really sad news. It's important for a small historic town like Santa Barbara to have a historic post office.
It's interesting the article didn't speculate on what it would sell for. I imagine around five or six million is possible, though the landmark, seismic retrofitting, parking issues will keep the price somewhat in check.
I predict a foolish non-profit will overpay and the building will end up a couple years from now being rented to a sandwich shop called Five Sardines.
Lars (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 11:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Be optimistic Lars, it could become a Panini Shop for twice as many sardines.
But this is seriously sad.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
April 28, 2012 at 11:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The building is a federal fortress, go look at it!
It was built during the depression to provide the feds a place for a last stand in case the hoards increased. There are drop offs to prevent vehicles from assaulting its thick walls and the upstairs is accessible with only one staircase. I worked there for almost ten years. Maybe JP Morgan Chase or Bank of America will want it to hold off the Occupy Wall Street activists? There is already a safe in the basement.
andersonlane47 (anonymous profile)
April 29, 2012 at 12:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Post Office should keep it, they can pull in other Federal Agencies to be tenants and make money. In addition being the Federal Government, landmark or not they don't have to go thru the local planning process to make certain interior changes to the facility. Whatever they sell it for in 10 years they will probably spend that amount on rent/improvements for a new space.
pointssouth (anonymous profile)
April 29, 2012 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ManCave!
GluteousMaximus (anonymous profile)
April 29, 2012 at 9:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"points south" raises a very good point about seeing if other federal agencies in the area might lease space or just move in. Federal agencies often rent local offices through GSA. So consolidate like the rest of us.
passagerider (anonymous profile)
April 30, 2012 at 2:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gs...
Is where you, the Citizen can buy former US Gov. Property at a very low rate. Check-out the Government website under Real Estate and see other Post Offices for sale/aution!
dou4now (anonymous profile)
April 30, 2012 at 5:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As a historic minded community we should reconstruct the Bordello so loved by locals of the past. Perhaps the nearby Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation could take up the task.
On the other hand, the building and the site are important and wonderful. One only has to look to San Francisco to see how a post office from this period can be both honored and made to serve new community interests...perhaps little boutiques on the inside selling garden/market goods...bread, cheese, olives, sandwiches, etc etc. Why not bring the farmer's market to the area...
DonJosedelaGuerra (anonymous profile)
April 30, 2012 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Growing up as a little kid, my parents both worked within a few blocks of the main post office. So what seemed like a cavernous marble cathedral and the koi pond behind the post office were my playgrounds.
I remember running around the outside, playing hide & seek behind those "huge" hedges. What great memories. Hope it can be saved.
EastBeach (anonymous profile)
April 30, 2012 at 10:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Make it a Starbucks, because you can never have too many of those in SB.
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
May 1, 2012 at 6:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with El Capitan Don Jose de la Guerra. The post office is a wonderful site for the Farmer's Market or like the Picadilly shops that were in the old Sears for years. The interior would make a perfect cafe with the post office slot serving food like a automats of old.
passagerider (anonymous profile)
May 1, 2012 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)