2 area post offices to close this spring

Dayton location to close April 29, Centerville location to close May 27.

The U. S. Postal Service confirmed Friday it will close two post offices in Dayton and Centerville this spring.

Station B at 10 N. Williams St. in Dayton will close April 29, and the Centerville location at 99 Maple Ave. will close May 27.

USPS spokesman David Walton said the decision was part of a nationwide initiative to address declining mail volume and stations that are close in proximity to others.

“The (U.S.) post office lost $8.5 billion last year,” Walton said. “That’s more than $23 million every day of the year.”

Walton cited the consistently increasing utilization of electronic communication for the primary drop in post office use.

“A good example is today,” he said. “It’s tax day, and I had people calling to ask if we would be open late. I told them there was no need. Only 30 percent of taxes are filed on paper these days.”

The recession has also been a factor.

“The first thing most businesses cut is advertising,” he said. “Those were some of the biggest mailers.”

As for the local sites, Walton said the Centerville location’s retail transactions are down 25 percent since 2007, and its revenue has declined 19 percent in that same time frame.

It is located two miles from a post office in Washington Twp., at 7525 Paragon Road.

“It certainly will be a loss of convenience for our residents and the surrounding area,” Centerville City Manager Greg Horn said. “The post office was a nice feature that was walkable for so many people.”

Data was not available for Station B, but Walton said that location is a small “finance” station.

“No carriers work out of that station,” he said. “It is more or less a retail location.”

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