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Growing effort to save Apollo Beach mail facility
The U.S. Mail Services plans to close the contract postal unit in Apollo Beach on September 30, which has infuriated residents because another nearby post office has been closed since Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FOX 13’s Evan Axelbank reports.
APOLLO BEACH, Fla. - Residents in Apollo Beach are rallying to save the Apollo Beach post office, which has been slated for closure at the end of September.
Rep. Kathy Castor is demanding answers from them about why the Apollo Beach Post Office was chosen to have its contract terminated with the individual owner.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Castor held up signatures from 2,000 residents demanding that it not be closed.
The USPS says it plans to close the facility on Flamingo Dr. on Sept. 30 and it has identified other postal facilities nearby that can serve the residents.
The move is infuriating residents who rely on the facility, especially given that another nearby post office has been closed since Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Betty Kettler has a message - Don't mess with her mail.
What they're saying:
"We're 86 years old," she explained. "We didn't move here to have to go somewhere else to go to a post office."
Michelle Woolbright says don't bust her business.
"I have an e-commerce shop, so I ship my orders every day," said Woolbright.
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Customers showed up on Wednesday to rally for the USPS to reverse its decision to cancel the contract for the independent store on Flamingo Dr. to operate as a post office.
"Two thousand neighbors are calling on the United States Postal Service to keep this post office open," said Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa).
Castor points out that not only has Apollo Beach doubled in size over the last ten years, but the Ruskin post office has been closed since Helene and Milton swept through.
It's not scheduled to reopen until October.
"That's 5.7 miles to the Gibsonton post office," she said. "Eleven miles to go mail your letter and get your stamps, that's ridiculous."
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Castor's letter asks for specific reasons as to why the post office is threatening this one with closure, whether the cuts are related to the DOGE effort, and how many contract postal units are facing a similar fate.
What's next:
Neighbors say they cannot imagine life without the mail facility that has been operated by the same woman for two decades.
"I love the convenience of it all, I like to interact with someone," said customer Suzan Williams.
Rep. Castor has asked the USPS for a detailed explanation for how the closure of this post office will impact wait times in surrounding communities like Gibsonton, Sun City Center, Riverview and Wimauma.
The other side:
USPS has sent a statement to Fox 13 saying: USPS statement:
"The United States Postal Service sometimes contracts with suppliers to host Contract Postal Units, or CPUs, within a retail establishment, operated by the supplier or supplier’s employees. Through these contracts, CPUs can provide communities with additional access to some postal services, but they are independent businesses not directly operated by the Postal Service. Under the CPU contract terms, the Postal Service and CPU operators both agreed that either party can terminate the contract upon giving 120 days’ notice. We have exercised our right to do so in some cases where nearby post offices that are operated by the Postal Service are capable of serving the community directly. Doing so better enables us to fulfill our commitment to serve our communities with efficient and reliable access to retail services.
In the case of the Apollo Beach CPU at 219 Flamingo Drive, Apollo Beach, FL 33572, the Postal Service determined that nearby postal facilities are able to serve the community. The closest Postal Service-operated retail facility to the Apollo Beach CPU is the Gibsonton Main Post Office which is 5.6 miles away at 11126 S US Highway 41, Gibsonton, FL 33534.
The Ruskin Post Office, which was temporarily suspended in October 2024 due to damages from a hurricane, remains suspended. A specific date for resumption of retail service is unavailable at this time"
The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Evan Axelbank.