Four months after more than two dozen residents and business owners crowded the Siesta Drive post office hoping to keep it open, the U.S. Postal Service has taken it off its closure list.

The U.S. Postal Service put the Southgate branch, which employs 24 people and has been in operation for more than 30 years, on a list of more than 600 post offices nationwide in a cost-cutting tactic. It was the only location in Sarasota on the list. The list has now been trimmed to 170.

Rep. Vern Buchanan pushed the postal service to keep the post office open after hearing from several constituents.

“The South Gate Post Office has been a thriving part of the community since it opened in 1955,” Buchanan said. “This is great news for area residents and companies that rely on the post office at South Gate for convenient and efficient mail service.”

Contact Robin Roy at rroy@yourobserver.com.
 

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