Local News

USPS backs out of planned Allston post office

The neighborhood has been without a post office since 2019, when structural issues forced the closure of the Harvard Avenue location.

Stan Grossfeld / The Boston Globe, File

April 24, 2026 | 11:02 AM

2 minutes to read

Developers of the mixed-use project rising on the former Allston post office site said Thursday that the U.S. Postal Service has backed out of plans to relocate the long-shuttered branch there, ending months of lease negotiations.

“This is a disappointing and unexpected reversal, particularly given the Postal Service’s prior commitment to the community,” Noah Maslan, of Eden Properties, said in a statement.

Maslan said that the developers and USPS had fully negotiated a lease with construction plans in place and were prepared to move forward.

“Their decision to reverse course was made at a higher level within USPS and appears to reflect broader shifts, not just conditions in Allston,” he said.

At the end of 2019, the USPS announced it was suspending service at the Allston branch at 47 Harvard Ave. and redirected customers to the Brighton post office. At the time, USPS said the “temporary suspension” was due to structural repairs needed at the Allston facility. The post office never reopened.

In 2023, Eden Properties filed plans with the city to build a new 170-unit residential, multi-use complex at its former site. As part of the plans, the developers proposed bringing back the post office to 25-39 Harvard Ave., as part of its larger six-story project.

A rendering of the proposed post office at the 25-39 Harvard Ave. *Courtesy of Embarc and Eden Properties.*

The Postal Service discussed the proposal with the City Council that same year and mailed postcards to residents and businesses in 2024 to solicit community input.

In a June 2025 letter to the mayor, USPS said it supported relocating the post office to a “yet-to-be-determined” site as close as possible to the former location, adding that a new space would allow it to restore retail operations for the long term.

Following the news on Thursday, Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon also expressed concerns.

“The Allston community has been waiting for the return of a local post office, and this reversal is deeply frustrating,” she said in a statement.

Breadon said she will continue working with state and federal partners to bring back a post office.

Eden Properties expressed that they would still like to see the post office come to their development.

“We continue to believe this location is viable and would provide an important and long-overdue service to the community,” Maslan said. “We stand ready to move forward if USPS is willing to reengage.”

USPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday morning.