(August 29, 2014) The Bronx General Post Office has been sold. There’s no word yet on who the buyer is or what the plans for the building are, but the post office was definitely sold two weeks ago. On the USPS-CBRE website, the listing says simply, “Sold.”

The Postal Service had made no official announcement about the sale, and it is apparently not ready to release any information.  When an attorney working on behalf of the Bronx GPO asked for basic details, the Postal Service’s lawyer suggested filing a request under the Freedom of Information Act.  That usually takes weeks, even months.

The fate of the Bronx GPO is obviously a matter of public concern in the Bronx, and it’s not clear why the Postal Service is so reluctant to share information about who bought the building, how much it sold for, what the plans are, where the postal retail operation is relocating, and so on.  Hopefully, the Postal Service will be more forthcoming about providing answers to these questions soon.

The listing for Bronx GPO on the CBRE-USPS Properties for Sale website includes several documents related to the property.  The sales agreement says that the Postal Service “will require a temporary lease-back period of up to 12 months while its replacement facility is prepared.  During this temporary lease-back period the USPS will pay rent of $1.00.”  Presumably, then, the Postal Service has been looking for a new space in the neighborhood, or it’s going to start looking for one now that the building has been sold.

As for the Bronx GPO itself, the Postal Service has not seemed very interested in sharing information about prospective buyers or consulting with the community about what its needs and preferences might be.  Perhaps there have been behind-the-scene discussions with elected officials in the Bronx, or perhaps the Postal Service and the buyer have decided it’s no one’s business but theirs.

Read more: Save the Post Office | Closures, Consolidations, Suspensions: Stories, Analysis, Opinion.