The post office on North Tioga Street in Ithaca has been delivering for more than a century. A downtown staple, the United States Postal Service recently signed a short-term lease for the building.

“It makes sense to have it here in the heart of the city where we need it and where it should be a real important community asset," said Gary Ferguson, executive director of Downtown Ithaca Alliance.

But a short-term deal has left some neighbors concerned. One postal representatitve said they are committed to having a presence downtown. The two-year lease will allow them to explore other downtown options. 

“At least 10,000 people who live within walking distance of the post office and use it religiously," said Ferguson.

“The one immediately closest to my house is not even a post office at all. It is only mailboxes," said Ithaca resident Matthew Ashford. "I don’t use those locations at all because they’re not convenient. That’s why I use the post office, because of the convenience."

And it's not just residents worried about the office's future.

"We have hundreds and hundreds of businesses who are in walking distance to the post office and use it daily," said Ferguson. 

Businesses like Home Green Home are committed to protecting the environment, so there's no company car. Moving the post office would hurt their bottom line.

“That would cause us to want to bundle our shipments together and wait several days until we had enough shipments to make it worth it for us to rent a vehicle," said store manager Polly Kiely.

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance has already created a committee to address the issue. The current lease for the post office is set to expire in June 2021.