Mail still on ‘island time’ at Post Office

There is no date yet for the reopening of the Boca Grande Post Office.

Currently, staff from the Boca Grande Post Office are operating at their Placida branch, sorting mail separately for users, and handing it over when they arrive. 

The issue will be even more complicated after Thanksgiving, when Christmas package season begins. While there is UPS and FedEx delivery of packages on the island, some online companies ship through different carriers, or only the post office.

The United States Postal Service has not yet given a date for the return of service to the island, according to officials. “The Boca Grande Post Office remains temporarily suspended at this time,” wrote Lecia Hall, USPS Strategic Communications Specialist for Florida and Texas.

The building, owned by Boca Commercial Partners, has been through the first steps of remediation, and the interior has been pulled back to the walls and studs to ensure that there is no moisture present. Building owner Mark Spurgeon, whose office at Boca Grande Real Estate is next door, has been working outside on the sidewalk. 

On Wednesday, he had flooring contractors already working on his side of the building. As landlord, he was waiting to hear from officials from out of state on next steps.

Hall sent us to a link page for updates on the status, at about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts. The link sends users to a page with the many hurricane service alerts for Florida. There, post offices that were destroyed in recent hurricanes are listed.

They include 11 stations closed due to hurricanes, including Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Downtown Fort Myers, Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, Ruskin and St. Pete Beach.