Minneapolis officials on Tuesday will consider leasing the vacant Kmart store on Lake Street to the U.S. Postal Service for use as a temporary post office.
Vacant Kmart in Minneapolis could become temporary post office
July 14, 2020 at 2:57PM
Two post offices near Lake Street were destroyed in the unrest following the death of George Floyd. The post office owns the property at 110 E. 31st St., and leased space at 3033 S. 27th Av. Spokeswoman Nicole Hill said the USPS is in "an exploratory process regarding building options to serve customers displaced by the Lake Street and Minnehaha Post Office closures."
The Postal Service needs a temporary location during the 12 to 24 months it will take to rebuild, the memo said. A mobile truck has been deployed in the Kmart parking lot at 10 W. Lake St. over the past month to help fill the void for south Minneapolis customers.
The Kmart was already scheduled to shutter by June 30 after the city bought out its lease, but the riots following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd accelerated its closure.
The lease agreement with the city calls for the Postal Service to pay $30,416 a month in rent beginning Aug. 1. The city-owned property has been eyed for redevelopment, but the memo states the temporary arrangement won't affect those plans.
The Postal Service needs a loading dock and about 184 parking spaces for employees, delivery vehicles and customers. Costs to prepare the site will be covered by the Postal Service, but the city will pay for outdoor property maintenance, such as snow removal, and for maintaining building systems. These costs will be capped at $365,000 annually.
The City Council's Business, Inspections & Zoning Committee will consider the matter on Tuesday. Postal Service officials were not immediately available for comment Monday.
Janet Moore
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