Union Square Post Office Under Contract, Buyer Not Known

The United States Post Office has been inching closer to moving out of an historic building in Union Square and into a smaller storefront in the neighborhood.

The historic Post Office building, at 237 Washington St., is under contract, according to a United States Postal Service website and Melissa Lohnes, a spokesperson for the USPS.

Meanwhile, the Somerville Planning Board recently approved plans for the Post Office to move its retail operations to 16-18 Bow St., according to Jaclyn Rossetti, a spokesperson for the city.

Although 237 Washington St. is under contract, Lohnes said the property has "not been purchased as of yet," and she was not able to say who the potential buyer was.

The historic Union Square Post Office was put on the market in spring of 2012 for $2.5 million, though the price was eventually dropped to $2.4 million, according to the USPS website. 

The building opened in 1936 and contains original murals painted by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.

The sale of the building is part of a nation-wide project to sell Post Office property, Lohnes said. Once the Union Square Post Office moves to Bow Street, carrier operations and the incoming mail center would be moved to Chelsea. Residents would still be able to conduct their Post Office business in the square.

Lohnes said there was no set schedule for when the Post Office would move to Bow Street, though Rossetti said the office plans to move as soon as possible.

16-18 Bow St. has been the home of Persian Styles, which is a wig store, according to Yelp.

More on the Union Square Post Office

• Post Office Close to Selling Union Square Building, Says Somerville Planning Director
• Union Square Post Office Officially on Market for $2.5 Million