Relief is on the way for postal workers who have been enduring tight quarters at the Oak Brook facility while trying to keep up with population growth in southeast DuPage County.
A new carrier annex, which is scheduled to become operational in the fall, is under construction in Willowbrook.
Along with the new facility, Burr Ridge and Willowbrook will be getting a new ZIP code, according to Judy Blanda who works in the real estate division of the U.S. Postal Service. The two villages will share the new number, 60527, which will be used after the facility is complete, she said. Currently, each town has two ZIP codes that are shared with other towns.
The Willowbrook facility will handle mail for about 40 routes moved out of the Oak Brook facility, 23 from the Westmont office, as well as some from the La Grange and Clarendon Hills post offices.
“The volume of mail is tremendous. It should improve service and save money,” Blanda said. “The carriers will have more space to sort their mail, and a shorter distance to their routes.”
The need for a new facility has been apparent for some time, Blanda said, but it took time to find the property, and then the project needed federal approval. The new carrier annex will be 29,000 square feet in a one-story building, built on 10 acres at 7140 Monroe St. It can be accessed off 71st Street along Madison Street and the Postal Service expects to have access from 75th Street when that street is extended to Madison.
John Fay, the director of community development for Willowbrook, said the new ZIP code is something village leaders in both towns have wanted for a long time.
“The facility is good-sized and will help deliver the mail more efficiently. I’m glad they’re investing to enhance the service in this area,” Fay said.
Fay said both villages also have encouraged the Postal Service to include postal retail service at the annex, but Blanda said there are no current plans to do so.
“There is a need for a retail facility. The other area post offices are busy and require a 15-minute wait,” Fay said. “They acknowledge the need but haven’t addressed the issue.”
The new carrier annex in Willowbrook will have vending machines for stamps, and residents will be able to pick up mail that has been held, according to Bettye Abbott, manager of marketing for the Central Illinois District of the U.S. Postal Service.
But there will be no provision for mailing packages or maintaining a post office box.
Doc’s Brookhaven Drugs in Darien recently closed its contract postal unit, a move that is expected to increase the demand for retail postal services.
Carole Summaria, supervisor of the unit and bookkeeper for the store, said they were losing money on the service. Although the Postal Service contributes enough funding for one clerk, the utility companies it also served contributed no money. The store needed about four employees to maintain the service.
“We’re busy here, but it doesn’t bring in enough revenue for the drugstore,” Summaria said. Doc’s has been providing this service for 20 years, and the decision affects all of the stores in its chain. It also has a store in Lisle.
“The closings were a big loss since they provided a great service to postal customers. We are seeking a location to replace them in the vicinity,” Abbott said.
