SOUTH BRONX — Community members who depend on a landmarked Bronx post office can breathe a sigh of relief, as the facility will remain open despite plans to transform the building into a retail, office and restaurant complex.
The developer Youngwoo & Associates, which confirmed its purchase of the historic site in September, submitted plans to the Department of Buildings on Dec. 10 to start using the four-story post office for retail, office and eating and drinking space.
“As long as they keep the post office part, I don’t have a problem with it,” said Greg Adams, 44, who was at the building on Thursday.
The permit filings were previously reported by the real estate blog YIMBY.
A DOB spokesman said that Youngwoo planned to install a restaurant and lounge on the building's penthouse floor.
Adam Zucker, director of business development at Youngwoo, declined to provide details about the specific types of retail, office and restaurant space that the company had planned for the site.
The post office is landmarked and contains 13 Depression-era murals, all of which will stay in the building and be restored, said Zucker.
The post office will maintain a presence at the location as well and remain operational during construction, which should begin in 2015, Zucker added.
Lakisha Walker, 38, who lives nearby, was adamant that the post office remain unchanged despite the pending construction.
"This size works really well for the community,” she said. "It needs to stay the way it is."
Post Office spokeswoman Maureen Marion stressed that the revamped building would still provide people with plenty of room to handle their mail.
“We are assured space that matches our need for full postal services as you see them today, including the post office box section and window service area,” she said in an email.
The sale of the post office itself was quite controversial and attracted opposition from union representatives, activists and Rep. Jose Serrano.
Serrano declined to comment on Youngwoo's plans until he knew more specifics about what they hoped to do with the property.
David Daugherty, a 51-year-old retiree who was at the building on Thursday, was more enthusiastic about the post office staying than about new amenities coming to the neighborhood.
“I don’t have too much quarrel with change,” he said. “As long as the post office is still here, a restaurant added is OK.”
