Winnetka Post Office moves to Lincoln Avenue; Wilmette branch partially reopens

Following years of uncertainty, the Winnetka Post Office abruptly moved to its new location at 586 Lincoln Ave.

The new site — open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (lunch break: 12:30-1:30 p.m.) Mondays-Fridays and 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays — is fully operational; however, P.O. boxes are still located and accessible at the 512 Chestnut St. location.

Village of Winnetka officials are not aware of what prompted the post office’s sudden move, which has been in the works since 2022, and the USPS did not respond to The Record’s questions by press time (Tuesday, Dec. 16).

The post office moved into the Chestnut Street building in 1982, leasing it from the Village, which purchased it the same year.

In 2014, the post office and Village transitioned to a month-to-month lease. Eight years later, the post office informed the Village it was moving to a storefront on Lincoln Avenue and the Village provided the post office with the required 12-month lease-termination notice.

Since 2022, the Village Council has extended its lease with the post office eight times, the most recent coming on Dec. 2, when trustees voted to approve the final extension, which will expire on Jan. 31, 2026.

The post office site has long been discussed as a prime redevelopment opportunity in the village. While ideas for the property have ranged from a town square concept to a multi-use development, trustees most recently expressed support for demolishing the post office building and developing a grassy island in its place.

Though not official, the plan could cost $592,000 while leaving the site available for future redevelopment.

Wilmette branch’s lobby reopens

A portion of the Wilmette Post Office is reopen following a roof collapse in November.

In its weekly newsletter to residents Dec. 12, the Village of Wilmette reported that customers can access P.O. boxes, the drop box and the stamp machine in the post office lobby. Counter service, however, remains unavailable. The location is expected to return to full operations in January, the Village said.

Wilmette post-office customers can retrieve packages from the Winnetka location, 586 Lincoln Ave. Other nearby post office locations include Kenilworth at 408 Green Bay Road, Evanston at 1929 Central St. and Skokie, 9318 Skokie Blvd.

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