Temporary agreement avoids closure of historic Cortez Post Office — for now
The Cortez Post Office — once in danger of closing for good over lease and insurance issues — will remain open for now after the U.S. Postal Service reached a temporary agreement with the landlord.
Earlier this month, federal officials announced that they would vacate the property by Friday, Oct. 22, due to the landlord’s request for the post office to secure insurance that would protect him. Through negotiations, the post office at 12112 Cortez Road will remain open through the end of October, with hopes of signing another long-term lease soon.
“The United States Postal Service is pleased to announce to our customers that we have reached an interim solution to allow operations to continue at the Cortez Post Office,” David Walton, a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson, said in a statement provided Friday to the Bradenton Herald. “We are currently working with the lessor on a long-term solution so we can continue to provide postal services to residents of Cortez from our existing location.”
If the Cortez Post Office closed, the move would have forced residents to seek mail services at the Palma Sola branch, which is about 5.5 miles away from the Cortez location. The issue was compounded by the fact that the office doesn’t offer carrier delivery, which would have required residents to travel more than 10 miles for mail pickup.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan publicly thanked Postal Service leaders for addressing the complaints from residents who were concerned about the potential closure. Earlier this month, Buchanan wrote a letter to postal leaders, asking for a prompt resolution.
“I am pleased to see the Cortez post office remain open for now,” Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in a statement. “This offers local residents, many of whom are elderly, a reprieve from any undue burden closing this facility would have caused as the Postal Service works on a more permanent solution. I will continue my efforts working with the Postal Service to ensure my constituents in the area have convenient mail service.”
The Postal Service did not provide additional information about its agreement with John Banyas, the landlord of the post office building. In a previous interview with the Bradenton Herald, Banyas explained that he asked the U.S. Postal Service to acquire liability insurance after he had to defend himself in court over an incident at the post office.
In September 2019, the post office’s “rusty flag pole” landed on a visitor in the parking lot, according to a legal complaint. Banyas is still in the middle of the lawsuit, fighting off a request for $30,000 in damages. In response, he urged the U.S. Postal Service to acquire insurance and extended the lease to Nov. 1 in order to give officials time to comply.
Instead, the Postal Service said it was self-insured and would not purchase separate liability insurance and instead close the Cortez facility.
The Cortez Post Office is a historic fixture in the tiny fishing village of Cortez. The location has been available to residents since at least 1957, but the community has had access to postal services since 1888.
Bradenton Herald reporter James A. Jones Jr. contributed to this report.
