Boerum Hill’s post office has a new branch manager and extended weekend hours, but residents said the “improvements” have fallen far short of the U.S. Postal Service’s promise to overhaul the aging facility by the end of the month.
In July, Brooklyn’s postmaster vowed to upgrade the Times Plaza Station on Atlantic Avenue within 90 days, after irate snail mail users said that service at the notoriously dirty and disorganized branch was worse than ever.
The station filled its vacant branch manager post in September, retrained its staff and extended the hours of its pickup window until 3 pm on Saturdays.
“We listened to what customers wanted and made changes,” said Connie Chirichello, a postal service spokeswoman.
But residents said that service at the station near Third Avenue still stinks — and complained that nothing was done to improve the building’s grimy interior.
“The service is still horrible and the lines don’t move,” said Cheryl Dupris, an army vet who lives on State Street.
Fran McIntyre said she had expected the building to get spruced up.
“The floors are dirty and its always crowded,” said McIntyre, a Boerum Hill resident and TV producer. “They could have made more improvements.”
But Brooklyn Postmaser Edward Roggenkamp told residents at a meeting last Thursday that there isn’t enough funding for a major renovation.
“I’m not sure there’s money in the budget for that,” Roggenkamp said.
On the bright side, the branch is not expected to close after its lease expires in 2013, as some had feared.
The Postal Service has began installing stations in stores like Walgreens and Home Depot, and is considering closing five branches in Brooklyn, but Chirichello said the Boerum Hill branch isn’t among them.
Reach reporter Daniel Bush at dbush@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-8310.
