Postal Service: Fox Valley Distribution Center to Close

The U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday it will be closing its Fox Valley mail processing center and moving the operations to its Bedford Park facility.

The Postal Service began studies five months ago to determine what facilities to consolidate in an effort to reduce its operating costs by $20 billion, according to the Postal Service. 

According to a story on WBEZ, the closure of the facility might mean the loss of 500 jobs. 

The Postal Service will also close six other facilities, located in central and southern Illinois, according to a news release from the Postal Service.

Since 2006, the Postal Service has experienced a 25 percent decline in First-Class Mail volume, and receives no tax dollars for its operations, relying instead on the sale of postage, and postal products and services, according to the Postal Service.

“The decision to consolidate mail processing facilities recognizes the urgent need to reduce the size of the national mail processing network to eliminate costly underutilized infrastructure,” Chief Operating Officer Megan Brennan said in a news release. “Consolidating operations is necessary if the Postal Service is to remain viable to provide mail service to the nation.”

No specific dates for the transition have been decided yet and until the transition takes place mail will continue to flow through the facilities, the Postal Service said.