City to get another post office

For residents frustrated by long lines at the city’s only post office, there is some good news.

Soon, there will be another place to buy stamps and mail letters and packages.

On Tuesday, the City of Maricopa was awarded a contract by the United States Postal Service to operate a Contract Postal Unit inside the new Maricopa Library and Cultural Center at 18160 N. Maya Angelou Drive, adjacent to city hall.

The city will have to make some modifications to the facility, which opened in March, to accommodate the postal operation, which is expected to open in the fall. The facility will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s no secret that our city is growing and that our current post office is packed – pun intended,” Community Services Director Nathan Ullyot said in a news release. “So, credit to our local postal team and the USPS for pursuing and supporting this opportunity as a way to better serve our residents. We also look forward to seeing increased traffic at our beautiful new facility with these new services.”

The CPU will offer a range of postal products and services including stamps and products, domestic mail, international mail, and special services, including insured mail, certified mail, signature confirmation service, registered mail, prepaid mail acceptance, USPS tracking, and certificate of mailing.

With the library in the geographic center of the Maricopa, it is a desirable location for a postal unit that will be surrounded by rapidly growing residential neighborhoods and easily accessible from White and Parker and Bowlin roads. There is free parking on site, with handicapped parking available just outside the east and south entrances to the building. Maricopa’s public transportation, The MET, makes frequent stops at the library.

The Contract Postal Unit will also create new part-time jobs. Information can be viewed at the city’s careers page.

The official post office at 44920 W. Hathaway Ave. has not expanded to keep up with the city’s growth, resulting in long lines at some times of the day and year.