U.S. Postal Service Pulls Back On Closing Tucson Processing Center: From "July 11" to "To Be Determined"

(UPDATE, 1:10pm: (1) added link to March article; (2) Rep. Martha McSally (R-CD2) announced that she and Tucson Vice Mayor Richard Fimbres will be touring the now-in-limbo facility tomorrow, and claiming leadership in the Congressional effort to thwart the closure.)

The U.S. Postal Service today changed the status of Tucson's mail processing and distribution center to "to be determined".  It had been scheuled to close on July 11.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD3) "welcomed" the delay.  Much of Arizona's Congressional delegation had been lobbying the USPS to not force all of Tucson's mail to be processed up in Phoenix.  From Grijalva's news release:

"I welcome news that the Cherrybell Processing and Distribution Center will likely not shut down in July, as had previously been planned,” said Rep. Grijalva.“Any delay gives us time to further make the case that the Cherrybell facility is vital to our community, and an unacceptable cut as USPS consolidates across the country.”

First announced in 2011, the closure of the Cherrybell processing facility would require all mail processing to be consolidate to USPS’s Phoenix facility, cutting nearly 250 jobs and ending overnight delivery for Tucson residents.

“While any news other than closure is good news, we must keep in mind the hundreds of our neighbors who are waiting with baited breath to learn if their jobs will be there next year,” Grijalva continued. “Likewise, small businesses across Southern Arizona that count on local service to ensure overnight delivery are awaiting an outcome too. I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure the outcome is the right one for our neighbors, our community, and out postal service at large.” 

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