Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 10 a.m. (Boston time), Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hearing on Docket #1338
Committee: PILOT Agreements, Institutional and Intergovernmental Relations Committee
Councilor Sharon Durkan chaired a hearing on docket 1338, sponsored by Council President Liz Breadon, on reestablishing a post office in Allston, which has been without one since a 2019 closure. Breadon and Eden Properties, which owns the 47 Harvard Avenue site, described a June 2025 USPS final decision to return to Allston and years of lease work built to USPS specifications, followed by USPS declining to sign the lease and proposing permanent closure in September 2026; Breadon noted USPS declined to attend the hearing. American Postal Workers Union representatives said USPS is not following federal law and its own discontinuance procedures, and Planning Department researchers estimated Allston's population grew 7.2 percent from 2020 to 2025 compared with 2.4 percent citywide, with a census undercount of roughly 10,000. Councilors Flynn, FitzGerald and Culpepper spoke in support, a statement from Senator Markey's office urged USPS to reverse course, and five residents and others testified in favor of restoring service. The docket was adjourned and remains in committee.
6:46 office.
6:47 this hearing is being
6:47 recorded.
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7:02 0.06 uh.
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7:09 Public testimony will be taken
7:10 at the end of this hearing.
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7:13 signed up, and they will have
7:14 two minutes to testify.
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7:17 testifying in person, please
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7:19 chamber.
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7:37 Today's hearing is on docket
7:37 1338.
7:39 Order for a hearing to discuss
7:41 reestablishing a post office
7:42 location in allston.
7:43 This matter was sponsored by
7:44 councilor liz breadon and
7:45 referred to the committee on
7:46 JULY 8th, 2026.
7:53 This morning I'm joined by my
7:54 colleagues in order of arrival
7:56 councilor ed flynn.
7:56 um councilor breadon and
8:00 moment.
8:00 Um and uh, I wanted to give a
8:03 Um, uh, so we're going to take
8:04 mark flanagan from ed markey's
8:06 office first.
8:07 Um, but first I want to say
8:09 good morning and thank you to
8:09 everyone for being here.
8:11 I'm grateful to be chairing
8:12 this important conversation at
8:13 the request of my colleague,
8:14 council PRESIDENT Liz breadon.
8:16 The also community has now gone
8:17 nearly seven years without a
8:18 post office.
8:20 In APRIL, usps reversed its
8:22 commitment to move a new um
8:23 move it to a new building where
8:24 it had already negotiated a
8:26 lease and construction plans
8:26 are in place.
8:28 What's happening in allston
8:29 isn't an isolated incident.
8:31 I know communities here in
8:32 boston and across the
8:33 commonwealth are facing similar
8:34 challenges.
8:35 Two years ago, residents in
8:37 mission hill received notice
8:38 out of the blue that usps was
8:39 closing their post office
8:41 thanks to a partnership with
8:41 the property owner.
8:43 Our congressional delegation
8:44 and senator markey.
8:47 Our office was able to get usps
8:49 to renegotiate its lease.
8:51 But that outcome cannot be
8:51 taken for granted.
8:53 The postal service serves an
8:55 important role in our
8:56 communities, especially local
8:57 businesses and some of our most
8:58 vulnerable residents.
9:00 It is important, um, that
9:01 people receive the important
9:03 communications they rely on
9:04 their government benefits and
9:05 other services that they need
9:07 and they um and that they're
9:08 able to participate in
9:09 elections and stay connected to
9:10 their communities.
9:12 usps is facing significant
9:13 operational and financial
9:14 challenges, but those
9:15 challenges should not mean our
9:16 communities are left without
9:18 the good services they rely on.
9:21 Our residents deserve clear
9:21 communication good faith follow
9:22 through.
9:24 Council PRESIDENT Breeden has
9:25 been dedicated to advocating
9:27 for residents of allston and
9:28 brighton and bringing our
9:29 congressional delegation and
9:31 stakeholders across the state
9:32 together to fight for the
9:32 awesome post office.
9:34 We're here to support that
9:36 effort this morning but also
9:37 talk about protecting access to
9:39 essential services in
9:40 neighborhoods across boston.
9:41 Thank you to council PRESIDENT
9:43 Breeden for bringing this issue
9:45 before us and to labor
9:46 representatives, city
9:47 officials, residents and other
9:48 stakeholders for joining us
9:49 this morning.
9:51 Um, we're going to hear from
9:52 mark flanagan from senator
9:53 markey's office because I know
9:54 he has another commitment and
9:56 then we're going to go to the
9:57 lead sponsor, councilor les
9:58 breadon.
9:59 Great.
10:01 thank you, councilor durkan
10:01 .
10:03 Um, I have mark flanagan from
10:04 senator markey's office.
10:05 I have a statement from the
10:07 proceedings in austin.
10:07 senator on the termination
10:10 Uh, and that reads the austin
10:11 neighborhood was promised a
10:12 post office and they deserve a
10:13 post office.
10:15 Since the temporary closure in
10:16 2019, I've persistently called
10:18 on the postal service to
10:20 expeditiously reopen a location
10:20 in austin.
10:22 Most recently on JUNE 5th, I
10:24 wrote in coordination with
10:24 boston city council PRESIDENT
10:27 Liz breeden and our federal,
10:28 state and local delegations to
10:31 urge you to stand by your 2025
10:32 promise to restore a postal
10:33 presence to this neighborhood.
10:35 These termination proceedings
10:36 are a betrayal of that promise.
10:38 Unfortunately, this closure is
10:40 part of a troubling pattern
10:42 of postal closures across
10:42 massachusetts.
10:44 The united states postal
10:45 service is meant to be the
10:46 front face of the federal
10:47 government in every community,
10:49 but it is turning its back on
10:50 neighborhoods across the
10:50 commonwealth.
10:52 As usps undertakes these
10:53 proceedings for the sake of our
10:55 postal workers and to this
10:56 community, usps should reverse
10:58 their decision to terminate a
10:59 postal presence in austin.
11:00 Go back to the negotiating
11:01 table with the property owner
11:04 at 47 harvard ave and reopen an
11:05 austin post office with all
11:05 available speed.
11:06 Thanks so much.
11:08 Thank you so much mark.
11:09 Um, thank you to senator markey
11:10 as well for all of his
11:11 leadership.
11:12 And we're going to go to the
11:13 lead sponsor, councilor liz
11:14 breeden for her opening
11:15 statement.
11:16 Good morning.
11:17 Thank you, MADAM Chair and good
11:18 morning everyone.
11:21 Um, thank you for being here.
11:22 Uh, I want to thank chair
11:24 durkan for holding this hearing
11:25 and all of the panelists
11:27 present, uh, for being here
11:28 today.
11:29 As a district
11:30 council representing allston.
11:32 I sponsored this hearing to
11:34 discuss the uncertain status
11:35 of the austin post office
11:37 branch and to call on the
11:39 united states postal service to
11:40 reestablish this branch.
11:42 This is not the first hearing
11:43 on the postal service we've had
11:45 council.
11:45 in recent years on this
11:47 In 2024 I chaired a similar
11:49 hearing sponsored by
11:51 councilor durkan as was the
11:53 case uh, as was the case then,
11:55 usps had failed to respond to
11:57 an invitation to request to
11:58 testify in this hearing.
12:02 To provide some context, the
12:03 allston post office branch was
12:05 previously housed in a building
12:08 located at 47 harvard av in
12:08 austin village.
12:10 Due to structural issues this
12:11 with this building.
12:14 The usps suspended service at
12:16 the us post the ulsan post
12:19 office and in DECEMBER of 2019
12:22 and 2021 the site was purchased
12:24 by a boston based real estate
12:25 firm eton properties.
12:28 A mixed use residential project
12:29 for the site was approved by
12:31 the city and is now under
12:31 construction.
12:34 Eden properties worked with
12:35 usps to include the post office
12:37 branch in the uh in the new
12:39 site, agreeing to the terms
12:42 of the lease with the usps in
12:45 JUNE of 2025, usps sent a
12:47 letter to mayor wu and myself
12:49 confirming its final decision
12:52 to relocate and reestablish the
12:54 boston allston post office
12:54 branch.
12:57 this letter explicitly states
13:00 that the usps stance intends to
13:01 reestablish retail operations
13:03 for our customers in allston,
13:04 massachusetts for the longer
13:07 term and that and that this
13:09 represented the final decision
13:11 of the post office with respect
13:13 to the matter and there was no
13:14 right to further administration
13:15 or judicial review of this
13:16 decision.
13:18 We also that was good news this
13:19 time last year.
13:22 Now after years of public
13:24 engagement, planning and
13:26 anticipation, usps has has
13:28 reversed this decision and is
13:30 moving to permanently close the
13:32 allston branch in early
13:35 SEPTEMBER of this year 2026
13:36 allston residents received a
13:40 written notice from usps that
13:41 announced its proposal to
13:42 permanently close the allston
13:43 post office.
13:46 This abrupt reversal is
13:48 incredibly frustrating for our
13:48 community.
13:50 For the past seven years, the
13:53 approximately 87 87,000
13:54 residents of allston brighton
13:56 have been expected to rely on a
13:58 singular post office location
13:59 in brighton for essential
14:00 postal services.
14:03 In contrast, our neighboring
14:04 city of newton, which has a
14:06 similar population is served by
14:07 ten post offices.
14:10 Allston is a diverse community
14:12 where many residents small
14:14 business owners rely on usps
14:16 for the essential services that
14:17 it provides.
14:19 We are holding this hearing
14:22 today to better understand the
14:23 current state of the status
14:24 of the allston post office.
14:26 Speak about the importance
14:27 of the austin post office
14:29 branch and accessible postal
14:31 services to our community and
14:34 reject excuses that call on you
14:36 and call on usps to hold this
14:38 to this discontinuation study.
14:40 I look forward to the
14:43 discussion ahead of us today
14:45 and at this time for the usps.
14:47 It is time and past time for
14:49 the usps to honor its
14:49 commitments.
14:51 Thank you, MADAM Chair.
14:53 Thank you so much
14:53 council PRESIDENT.
14:55 Um and we're also joined by
14:55 Councilor ed flynn, do you want
14:58 to give a, uh, opening
14:58 statement?
15:01 Thank you, MADAM Chair.
15:03 And thank you to
15:05 council PRESIDENT Breadon for
15:06 bringing this important issue
15:07 forward.
15:09 I'm here to support my
15:11 council colleague in advocating
15:15 a postal office in allston
15:16 area.
15:18 Um, I want to thank the panel
15:19 for being here.
15:21 Thank the residents of allston
15:23 and brighton for advocating for
15:24 this as well.
15:27 And I do want to acknowledge,
15:32 um, tony desiderio and the
15:34 desiderio family long time
15:34 residents.
15:38 Um, for their ongoing
15:40 commitment to the community and
15:41 to our city as well.
15:43 I also want to say thank you to
15:45 the postal workers throughout
15:46 throughout massachusetts,
15:48 throughout the country that do
15:49 an exceptional, exceptional
15:49 job.
15:50 Um.
15:51 Thank you so much.
15:53 Um, and I'd like to also
15:54 acknowledge that we've received
15:56 absence letters from councilors
15:58 enrique pepen and
15:59 councilor russi louijeune.
16:01 Um, both of these absence
16:03 letters um share the importance
16:04 of a conversation about this
16:06 and um share their support for
16:08 allston and brighton and the
16:10 communities and um, you know
16:11 what impact this will have?
16:12 Uh, lack of service.
16:13 So I want to thank my
16:14 colleagues for their absence
16:14 letters.
16:16 Um, I think we're going to
16:17 start with the panel.
16:19 Let's start with uh, noah who
16:20 is on zoom and then we'll go
16:21 through the line.
16:26 Uh uh good morning, chair derek
16:27 and councilor breadon
16:27 councilor flynn.
16:28 Can you guys hear me?
16:29 All right.
16:29 Yes.
16:31 okay, great.
16:33 Uh, thank you for the
16:34 opportunity to speak today.
16:37 Um, my name is nomadland and
16:38 I'm here on behalf of eon
16:39 properties.
16:41 Uh, when we purchased the
16:44 harmon avenue property in 2021,
16:46 the allston post office had
16:47 already been closed for nearly
16:47 two years.
16:50 From our earliest conversations
16:51 with councilor braeden.
16:54 Um allston civic association
16:55 tony members of the community
16:57 we understood how important
16:59 allston.
16:59 restoring postal service was to
17:02 Uh, we made that a real
17:03 priority in planning the
17:05 redevelopment, uh, of the
17:07 property beginning into 2022.
17:10 We work closely with the usps
17:12 to identify a ground floor
17:14 location and ultimately design
17:16 that space around the needs
17:17 of a new post office.
17:19 We agreed on the basic business
17:21 terms outlined in a mutually
17:23 agreed upon letter of intent,
17:25 and usps provided detailed
17:27 building requirements that we
17:28 incorporated into the project
17:30 by late 2025.
17:33 We were told the lease and work
17:35 letter, both drafted and issued
17:37 by usps had been reviewed and
17:39 approved by usps legal and we
17:42 were just waiting for them to,
17:43 uh, execute the lease.
17:45 And usps.
17:48 Has also formally communicated
17:50 its intention to return to
17:52 allston in its JUNE 2025 final
17:53 decision letter.
17:55 The postal service said it
17:56 planned to relocate the branch
17:58 nearby to reestablish retail
17:59 operations and maintain long
18:00 term service to the community.
18:03 We were disappointed when usps
18:04 subsequently pulled back and
18:05 did not sign the lease.
18:08 It was an unexpected expected
18:10 reversal after several years I
18:11 mean really four years of work
18:13 and after we understood to be a
18:14 clear commitment to restore
18:17 service more recently we were
18:18 even more disappointed to learn
18:20 that usps is considering
18:21 permanently discontinuing the
18:22 austin branch.
18:24 We understand the frustration
18:24 in the community.
18:27 Residents and businesses have
18:29 been waiting years for the
18:31 return of the local post office
18:33 and we know that service
18:34 continues to matter.
18:36 Eden remains ready to work with
18:38 usps, the city and the
18:39 community if there's still a
18:40 viable path to restoring.
18:41 the branch.
18:43 At the same time, we also need
18:45 to plan responsibly for the
18:46 future of the project and the
18:48 needs of the neighborhood over
18:49 the next several months we have
18:51 an important window to make
18:52 sure the ground floor space can
18:54 accommodate other uses and to
18:55 begin identifying potential
18:55 partners.
18:57 We do not want to lose that
18:58 opportunity and ultimately
18:59 leave the community with a
19:01 vacant or inactive storefront.
19:03 Our preference remains to.
19:05 See postal service restored,
19:07 but if usps ultimately decides
19:08 not to reopen the allston
19:10 branch, our focus will be on
19:12 finding another use that brings
19:13 activity to harvard ave and
19:15 contributes positively to the
19:15 neighborhood.
19:17 Our commitment throughout has
19:18 been to listening to the
19:19 community work collaboratively
19:21 and build a project that
19:22 strengthen this part of allston
19:22 .
19:24 That remains our goal and I'm
19:25 happy to take any questions.
19:27 Thank you so much noah.
19:29 Um and then we're joined by