Save Our Berkeley Post Office

Gray Brechin, Harvey Smith and Adolfo Cabral urge Berkeleyites to protest the sale of the city's downtown post office.

The U.S. Postal Service has contracted the giant CB Richard Ellis real estate brokerage to sell America's post offices. It is doing so without local public input and with no consideration for the architectural, aesthetic, or historic merit -- let alone the vital community functions -- of postal services and the buildings that house them.

A national grassroots fight to stop service cutbacks and preserve living-wage postal jobs for our communities is growing (savethepostoffice.com).

Berkeley’s Main Post Office was built in 1914 and was modeled on Brunelleschi's Foundling Hospital in Florence. It hosts two public New Deal art works.

You can help save this treasure. Join us in the following actions:

• A public information demonstration, from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 20 at the Downtown Berkeley Post Office, 2200 Allston Way near Milvia Street. 
• "They're Sellinig the Berkeley Post Office? A Travesty in National Context," a discussion of the options with Gray Brechin, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 20 at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 
• Rally and "Happy 99th Birthday, Post Office" demonstration/party with giant cake at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24 at the post office. March to old City Hall at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, where the Berkeley City Council will vote on whether to appeal the sale of the post office.

We the people will speak in support of the appeal and to protest the sale of our landmark Main Post Office. 

The Berkeley Main Post Office belongs to all of us.

Gray Brechin is a historical geographer, author and co-founder of the Living New Deal project. Harvey Smith is president of the National New Deal Preservation Association. Adolfo Cabral is a candidate for Berkeley City Council representing District 2.

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