The U.S. Postal Service has reversed a plan to relocate certain local mail processing operations from Corpus Christi to San Antonio.
Mail sent from Corpus Christi with an intended destination in Corpus Christi will not need to leave the region for processing, according to a Monday USPS announcement.
Previously in 2024, the postal service had announced that outgoing mail in Corpus Christi would be sent to a facility in San Antonio for processing. The decision sparked concerns about delivery delays, as mail sent in Corpus Christi would have had to travel more than 280 miles round trip for processing before returning to town.
A similar shift to regional mail operations in McAllen was also walked back, according to a December news release from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro.
Castro and U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez and Greg Casar sent a letter in April 2024 to then-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing concerns about the plans to move mail processing from Corpus Christi and McAllen to San Antonio.
The plan to retain certain local mail processing operations in Corpus Christi is the result of a nationwide strategy to increase efficiency, allowing the postal service to “absorb the cost,” according to the news release.
“This strategy provides a solution that will ensure our organization can cover the cost of local originating mail processing operations in the Corpus Christi facility,” Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino said in the news release.
The postal service plans to invest $5.4 million at the Corpus Christi postal facility, including enhancing the work environment and equipping the facility with necessary technology, according to the release.
Because certain mail processing is remaining in Corpus Christi, there are no anticipated employee impacts. Previously, the postal service had anticipated losing some positions with the proposed shift to San Antonio, though no career layoffs were planned.
According to the news release, enhanced package processing and shipping capacity in Corpus Christi could lead to a future need for additional staffing support.
Corpus Christi’s postal facility is the Dr. Hector Perez Garcia Post Office Building, at 909 Nueces Bay Blvd. It opened in 1969 and was renamed after the local civil rights icon in 1988.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: USPS reverses plan to relocate some Corpus Christi mail operations to San Antonio
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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