BOSTON – Monday, October 5, 2026 – Press Release – Mayor Michelle Wu today joined Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Boston City Council President Liz Breadon, community members and other local elected officials to denounce recent United States Postal Service (USPS) actions that would reduce access to postal services for Boston residents, including the agency’s proposal to permanently close the Allston Post Office.
Mayor Wu also sent a letter to USPS leadership notifying them of the City’s strong opposition to the agency’s reversal to its prior commitment to restore postal services in Allston. Although USPS had previously indicated that it would establish long-term retail operations in the neighborhood, the Allston branch has remained closed since 2019.
“The reversal of the Post Office’s prior commitments to reopen the Allston USPS branch is an abdication of responsibility not only to Boston, but to all families,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This post office serves grandparents buying stamps to mail birthday cards to their grandchildren, parents sending care packages to students away at college, and residents and small businesses who rely on this location to conduct business. I thank Councilor Breadon for her work and leadership in bringing our community together as we continue to urge United State Postal Service leaders to keep their word and prevent the permanent closure of this vital resource for our community.”
At today’s rally, Mayor Wu, Council President Breadon, and Congresswoman Pressley invited Allston residents to join them in contesting the closure. This proposal also coincides with USPS announcing last week that it will, purportedly temporarily, close the USPS Fields Corner branch later this month. People interested in submitting public comments can email allstonpostoffice@boston.gov with their name, home address and their comments. The deadline for this initial period is Sunday, October 11, and there will be future opportunities for residents to engage on this issue.
“The USPS belongs to all of us and is a vital lifeline for folks in Allston who depend on it for everything from daily medications and Social Security checks to mail-in ballots and staying connected to loved ones,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “That’s why we’re not letting them off the hook while they go back on their word and rip away this essential resource by permanently closing the Allston branch. I’m proud to stand with Councilor Breadon and our colleagues to fight back.”
“USPS’s proposal to permanently close the Allston Post Office is an unacceptable reversal of a promise made to our community by USPS,” said Boston City Council President Liz Breadon. “For the past seven years, the 87,000 residents of Allston-Brighton have been served by only one post office location; Newton, which has a population of 88,000, has 10. Our neighborhood will continue to fight for the reestablishment of the Allston Post Office, fair treatment from USPS, and the fulfillment of commitments made.”
Last month, USPS announced their intent to study the permanent closure of the Allston Post Office Branch via letters to Allston residents. The Allston Post Office Branch was previously located at 47 Harvard Avenue, but citing the need to repair structural issues, USPS suspended service at this location in 2019. In 2022, Eden Properties, a local developer, proposed restoring the Allston Post Office on the ground floor of their project at the Harvard Avenue site and connected with USPS, who communicated they were actively searching for a new Allston location. In 2023, Eden negotiated a letter of intent with USPS real estate brokers at Jones Lang LaSalle, with lease negotiations commencing that year. In 2025, Jones Lang LaSalle communicated to Eden that the terms were finalized and awaiting signature. In June of 2025, USPS confirmed in a letter to the City that it would reopen the Allston Branch. In April 2026, USPS backed out of this comment and ended lease negotiations. If closed, 87,000 residents of Allston-Brighton will be served by only one post office location in Brighton.
“The USPS has asked the Allston community to engage in a charade that operational performance will be enhanced by the permanent closing of the Allston Post Office,” said Tony D’Isidoro, President of the Allston Civic Association. “They’re not fooling anyone! This new business model will fail because it will not be applied fairly across the country.”
“Every day, we see how much our neighbors rely on the post office to apply for benefits, renew passports, update their address, receive important documents, and send packages home to family. For seniors and residents who don’t drive or are more comfortable in their own language, a nearby post office is a lifeline,” said George Huynh, Executive Director of Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID). “Allston has gone seven years without one. Fields Corner is now facing the same uncertainty, and we cannot afford to wait seven years. We urge USPS to commit to a clear timeline for a permanent location in Fields Corner and to restore the post office here in Allston. Every neighborhood in Boston deserves a post office close to home.”
“It’s bad enough that the Post Office degrades service levels, but here they want to take the post office away lock, stock, and barrel,” said Scott Hoffman, National Business Agent, American Postal Workers Union. “It’s a slippery slope type condition if we let them pull a post office after making promises to the community and to workers, then all is lost. This is a brazen move.”
