The future of the Bradenton Beach post office remains uncertain as negotiations between the property owner and the U.S. Postal Service are apparently stalled over rent costs.
The post office at 116 Bridge St. has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton struck in the fall of 2024, while repairs and lease talks have dragged on.
Mayor John Chappie told commissioners Oct. 2 that the Miami Beach-based Fryd Family Partnership, which owns the property, spent two years trying to renew the lease.
The landlord submitted two independent studies valuing rent at $40-$45 per square foot, but Chappie said the postal service refused the pricing.
In an interview with The Islander following the meeting, Chappie said an associate with the USPS suggested the location might not reopen.
“Two days ago, I got a phone call and I was told that it was a done deal and they’re not going to open up,” he said, though no official announcement has been made.
Chappie said he contacted U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s office and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s office to press postal officials in Washington, D.C.
The Bradenton Beach post office has functioned as a hub since the 1970s, offering full USPS services and distributing mail. If it closes permanently, service would shift to Longboat Key or Anna Maria.
“I think we should do everything possible to keep the post office here,” Chappie said. “If people want the post office to stay, they need to contact their representatives.”
The mailing address for Buchanan’s Longboat Key office is 5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 210, Longboat Key, FL 34228; and the office phone number is 941-951-6643.
The mailing address for Scott’s Tampa office is 801 N. Florida Ave. Suite 421, Tampa, FL 33602; and the phone number is 813-225-7040.
The mailing address for U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody’s Tampa office is 801 N. Florida Ave., Suite 1108, Tampa, FL 33602; and the D.C. phone number is 202-224-3041.