The United States Postal Service has announced a major overhaul of its Fort Myers processing and distribution center, which will result in all outgoing mail being routed to Tampa instead of being handled locally. This plan includes a significant investment of up to $26.3 million to modernize and maintain the Fort Myers plant, which will continue to operate for sorting, processing, and delivering incoming mail, according to a press release from USPS.
The changes are aimed at reducing costs and improving service across the region, without causing delays in local deliveries. The agency stated that the investment in the Fort Myers facility is part of the Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering for America plan, which aims to enhance organizational and operational processes and transform the Postal Service into an efficient, high-performing logistics and delivery provider.
As part of the upgrades, the facility will receive $9 million worth of new sorting machines and amenities for employees, such as new lighting, bathroom renovations, and improved break rooms. Additionally, the facility will be equipped with charging stations for USPS’ new electric mail trucks.
However, Sam Wood, president of the local American Postal Workers Union, expressed skepticism regarding the purported service benefits and the new investment promised by USPS. He stated that the changes may not be as advantageous as portrayed to the public and raised concerns about the practicality of the new system.
The Fort Myers Processing and Distribution Center, currently responsible for handling outgoing mail for several counties, is expected to save between $2.5 million and $3.3 million annually without compromising service performance, according to a USPS review. The agency also assured that there would be no career layoffs, with jobs transferring from Fort Myers to Tampa.
Wood questioned the efficiency of the new system, particularly highlighting potential delays due to traffic problems on I-75. Under the revised routing, mail from Fort Myers would be sent to Tampa for processing, which could lead to extended delivery times for local mail. He also noted that some of the improvements mentioned in the press release, such as bathroom renovations, had already been implemented.
Furthermore, Wood emphasized that the change could mark the end of the Fort Myers postmark, raising concerns about the sentimental significance of this transition. Although customers could still obtain the postmark at a local retail counter, any mail deposited in dropboxes might no longer bear the Fort Myers postmark.
