Post office burned during riots reopens in Minneapolis

A Minneapolis post office torched during the riots following George Floyd's murder in 2020 has reopened at its original address just off Lake Street.

The Lake Street Post Office reopened at 110 E. 31st St., the U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday. The building was one of dozens burned along in the E. Lake Street vicinity in the unrest.

The post office has six-day mail delivery, seven-day package delivery and is stabilizing its workforce.

"Just as the Postal Service continues to provide a vital service for our nation, the staff of the Lake Street Post Office will proudly continue that same public service in this community," according to the release.

Before its destruction, the 43-year-old Lake Street facility spanned 80,000 square feet on nearly 2 acres near Lake and Nicollet Avenue, according to Hennepin County property records.

The U.S. Postal Service temporarily moved operations to a portion of the vacant Kmart building on Lake Street after the building burned down. The city of Minneapolis owns the Kmart tract and received about $30,000 in rent per month from the Postal Service.

Now that USPS is out of the Kmart site, the city will begin the building's demolition, which is expected to take nine to 12 months, said Sarah McKenzie, media relations coordinator for the city.

Another post office set to replace one destroyed near the Minneapolis Police Department's Third Precinct headquarters — which was also destroyed — is under construction, McKenzie said.