The US Postal Service Incoming Mail Center on Beacham Street is one of 43 Massachusetts post office facilities listed that may be closed as the Postal Department attempts to cut expenses, which are far outpacing income.
The Postal Department made the announcement Tuesday.
An official who wished to remain unnamed at the Chelsea IMC said Wednesday afternoon that he believed the center would not be closing, rather, the center’s one clerk postal outlet is what will close.
“That listing of addresses given out by the Postal Service didn’t tell the whole story,” said the official. “The IMC doesn’t even have stamps to sell. We’re a big facility and it is unlikely this facility will be closed.”
The Chelsea IMC is home to about 250 letter carriers and an additional 50 clerks and support staff.
Also, about 100 postal delivery vehicles are parked at the facility overnight everyday.
This is compared to the small retail outlet where stamps are sold and packages taken on the Admiral’s Hill side of the sprawling facility.
The Postal Service said in its release that only smaller facilities were scheduled for closing. The retail end of the Chelsea facility fits that bill.
Nationwide, the Postal Service is considering 3,653 locations mostly smaller post offices or post offices whose book of business no longer justifies its existence.
There are a total of 31,871 post offices in the United States.
The amount of mail handled by the Postal Service is continuing to drop dramatically due to people turning increasingly to the Internet to pay their bills and for their bank account statements and other personal documents and literature from week to week and month to month.
The locations chosen, according to officials from the Postal Service, were picked based on how much employees are doing and how many customers come in.
“We’re not a retail location so I don’t think it applies to us,” added the Postal official at the Chelsea IMC. I can’t imagine the place closing. None of us can.”