Report: Postal Service Seeks Extension On Oak Creek Development

Update: Here is the Oak Creek meeting agenda. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (like ours).

Oak Creek Patch is reporting that the United States Postal Service is seeking an extension — until December of 2013 — to begin construction of a new mail sorting facility on Pennsylvania and College Avenues.

Check out the story here. From it:

The Oak Creek Common Council on Tuesday will discuss a proposal to move the start date to Dec. 8, 2013. Tuesday’s meeting is only one step in the process for an extension, however. Final approval won’t come until after a public hearing, to held at a later date.

“Under the current economic climate, USPS is unwilling to commence construction, but is requesting that it retain the right to build the distribution center,” according to the report.

In addition to extending the deadline for construction to begin, the MOU would dictate construction end by Dec. 8, 2015. 

Of course, this is a big issue for South Milwaukee, as this long-discussed facility would be built across the street from the 4th District. It also could impact the expansion plans we have for Pennsylvania/Nicholson Avenue currently scheuled to happen in 2012. 

I will find out more details on this, and keep you posted. I will also work to ensure that the postal service does not hold up the road project — especially for a development that I strongly believe has little, if any, chance of getting built.

At some point, you’re either all in, or you’re not. And I would have a hard time supporting a two-year wait to see if the USPS is truly committed or not.

Then there is the issue involving the roundabout at Hickory Street — not part of the Pennsylvania/Nicholson expansion plans submitted to the state and not something that I support the city having to pay for (even 10 percent).