Fremont's Historic Niles District To Keep Post Office

Niles dates back some 160 years before it became part of the city of Fremont. It is a quaint area with its own historical main street downtown and turn-of-the-century buildings.

"I wouldn't necessarily say it's a landmark, but it's definitely historical to be here," said Niles resident Stephen Littel.

Niles has had its own post office since 1873. It's a place where people walk to and gather to exchange town gossip.

"It's also a treasure to have somebody recognize you when you walk in and have good customer service," said Rae Homorody.

But the talk the past few months has been about the possibility that the U.S. Postal Service will close this post office.

Consolidation, as the Postal Service calls it, has been underway across the country. Delivering mail the old-fashioned way in the internet age has resulted in $7 billion in losses and 11 billion fewer pieces of mail to process.

On Wednesday night, a large number of residents showed up at Niles Elementary School. The Postal Service has been studying the closure of their post office and they were scheduled to make an announcement on Wednesday night.

An organized opposition generated more than 7,000 letters asking that the Niles post office be kept open. The next closest post office is four miles away.

It fell to Kim Fernandez of the U.S. Postal Service to announce the decision.

"When we look at the opportunities and options for this particular community, I just had to make the decision that we cannot close the Niles Station," said Fernandez.

Linda Randolph organized the campaign to keep the post office open. Her group brought forth data that showed the Niles post office did not lose money, but in fact generated $400,000 in income last year.

"I felt like all the elements of the community were here and they just needed something to crystalize and I felt that I could be that element," said Randolph.

The Niles post office has been saved, but there are eight other bay area postal facilities still being studied for possible closure.

Those facilities are Berkeley Park, Berkeley Landscape, Oakland Station, Oakland Kaiser, Oakland Mills, Richmond Station, Walnut Creek Station and Moraga Country Club.

Fernandez said the postal service doesn't intend to close down entirely, but rather "look at its options."

And one of those options is ending Saturday mail deliveries. But congress will have to change the law before that can happen.