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<br />Post offices
<br />put on hold
<br />by cutbacks
<br />Thirteen U.S. Postal Service con-
<br />struction projects, most of them in
<br />the Twin Cities area, have been
<br />suspended indefinitely because of
<br />belt -tightening imposed by Con-
<br />gress, according to a postal service
<br />spokesman.
<br />In some cases, contracts were
<br />ready to be signed when the proj-
<br />ects were terminated. In others,
<br />land has been purchased and de-
<br />sign work started.
<br />The suspended projects are in St.
<br />Paul, Roseville, Forest Lake, Cir-
<br />cle Pines, West St. Paul, Wood-
<br />bury, Rochester and Grand Marais,
<br />Minn. Wisconsin construction proj-
<br />ects suspended are in Hudson, Os-
<br />seo, Fredrick, Arcadia and
<br />Spooner, according to Jim Ahlgren,
<br />spokesman for the St. Paul Divi-
<br />sion.
<br />What caused the Minnesota and
<br />Wisconsin suspensions, and others
<br />elsewhere in the United States, is
<br />the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of
<br />1988, which requires the U.S. Post-
<br />al Service to pay $1.245 billion in
<br />fiscal years 1988 and 1989 to cover
<br />added health benefits and pension
<br />costs for some of its employees.
<br />Those employees were part of
<br />the old U.S. Post Office before it
<br />was reorganized 15 years ago into
<br />the postal service, which is an in-
<br />dependent corporation operated by
<br />an independent board of governors.
<br />Some economy measures al-
<br />ready have been imposed. LasbSat-
<br />urday, about half the nation's local
<br />post offices closed, and they will be
<br />closed again Jan. 2. Other service
<br />reductions, and changes that could
<br />slow third- and fourth-class mail,
<br />also are being considered.
<br />According to Ahlgren, the serv-
<br />Please see Post offices/4A
<br />Post offices
<br />Continued from Page 1A
<br />mate was available.
<br />ice had not budgeted for the $1.W.
<br />' Circle Pines — Land had been
<br />billion.
<br />purchased and design work was 60
<br />"A lot of these communities are
<br />percent complete for this $1.25' '
<br />in dire need of a post office, and
<br />million project..
<br />the need is not going to go away.
<br />Forest Lake —+ Estimated "cost
<br />They'll have to be re-evaluated
<br />was $947,000. Land between Sixth
<br />when funds become available," he
<br />and Seventh avenues adjacent to
<br />said.
<br />First Street had been purchased
<br />He said the postal service also
<br />for $97,000.
<br />must reduce planned capital costs
<br />Rochester East Side Station — A
<br />by 75 percent in fiscal 1988, and by
<br />total of 3.4 acres has been pur-
<br />50 portent over the two fiscal
<br />chased in the East Gate Commer-
<br />y�,
<br />cial Park at a cost of $338,000. The
<br />Here's a breakdown of suspend-
<br />project's total cost was estimated
<br />at nearly $3 million. Design work
<br />ed projects provided by Ahlgren.
<br />nntn wnc not nvnilnhIA fnr all_
<br />was 30 percent complete.
<br />Daytons Bluff Station — A $2
<br />million project. A $130,000 site
<br />bounded by Minnehaha Avenue,
<br />Etna Street, Reaney Avenue and
<br />Birmingham Street already has
<br />been acquired.
<br />West St. Paul Branch — No esti-
<br />mate of the cost was available. The
<br />postal service was seeking a site in
<br />an area bounded by Butler Avenue
<br />on the north, Marie Avenue on the
<br />South, and Highway 3 and Charlton
<br />Avenue on the east and west.
<br />Woodbury Branch — Bids had
<br />been let but contracts had not been
<br />signed for this $1.5 million to $1.75
<br />million project on Currell Drive
<br />north of Valley Creek Road. The
<br />site comprises five acres, and a
<br />16,000-square-foot building and
<br />9,000-square-foot garage 4buld
<br />have been constructed.
<br />Roseville Branch — The service
<br />was seeking a site at Lexington
<br />and County Road B for a 22,809-
<br />square-foot building. No cost esti-
<br />W41lu 1Y141 d1J — Lallu WOO OYc-
<br />lected and purchased, but the price
<br />and an estimate of construction
<br />costs were not available.
<br />Hudson, Wis. — Plans called for
<br />construction of an 11,500-square-
<br />foot building. The project's esti-
<br />mated cost was $1.7 million.
<br />Arcadia, Wis. — Plans called for
<br />a 4,144-square-foot building but no
<br />site selection or cost estimate had
<br />been made.
<br />Frederic, Wis. — A cost esti-
<br />mate and other details were not
<br />available. -
<br />Osseo, Wis. — A cost estimate
<br />was not available, but a 3,300-
<br />square-foot building was planned.
<br />Officials had selected a site at the
<br />southwest corner of U.S. 53 and
<br />Ninth Street and were in the proc-
<br />ess of negotiating a price.
<br />Spooner, Wis. — Total estimated
<br />cost for land, design and a 25,000-
<br />square-foot building was estimated
<br />at $2.4 million.
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