VNC Opposes Post Office Proposal to Close Historic Windward Circle Location

Venetians reacted skeptically to promises from U.S. Postal Service representatives that the historic Abbot Kinney mural in the post office on Windward Circle would be open to the public in perpetuity, even if the building were sold to a private developer.

At an extra meeting last week, the Venice Neighborhood Council unanimously passed a motion that formally opposed the USPS' plan to sell the current post office property and consolidate the options offered there—window service and post office boxes—at the postal annex on Grand Boulevard, where mail is sorted and sent out for delivery.

"I can understand efficiency," said VNC member Clark McHutchinson. "My bigger concern is what happens to our beloved post office. I don't want to see a Starbucks."

The post office's mural, called "The Story of Venice," is in the building's lobby and was painted in 1941 by Edward Biberman.

VNC member Amanda Seward, who chaired the Post Office Committee, pointed out that Biberman was part of the social justice movement, and that the mural was federally commissioned and is historic.

"Adaptive reuse ... is always a compromise, it is not ideal," Seward said. She took the USPS to task for not working collaboratively with the community on this project. "If [relocation] happens over long negotiations, that's one thing, but it cannot happen now," she said.

Tina Moyer, a real estate specialist for the USPS, tried to allay the crowd's concerns about the mural. "It will be available to the public to view. No one gets to purchase it," she said.

"It's against our own policies to write a contract that would harm a historic property," she said.

However, Moyer acknowledged that another USPS-owned mural in Los Angeles was lost at one point.

Venice resident Jim Murez produced a short presentation on an alternative plan to save the post office. He recommended that the city use its powers of eminent domain to take over the building that currently houses Subway and Seed, as well as the parking lot at Windward and Pacific avenues. He argued that the building and parking there would be more than sufficient to combine operations at the current annex and post office facilities.

Murez's presentation received scattered applause, but was not included as part of the council's motion.

The VNC submitted its formal appeal to the USPS this week.