Post office closure surprises staff and customers

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Customers and staff of the downtown Topeka post office were met with unwelcome surprise over the weekend when a notice appeared posted on the building’s door.

Located at 424 S. Kansas Ave., this office is closed indefinitely with no timeline provided for a possible reopening. P.O. boxes previously located inside the downtown location can currently be found at the N.W. Gage post office.

The staff who worked downtown will move to the facility at 220 Lyman Rd.

A person closely associated with the post office, choosing to remain anonymous, told 13 News that he isn’t confident in this new plan. He’s concerned that the Lyman facility lacks adequate space to accommodate additional clerks, carriers, and other staff. Moreover, he believes the workload will exceed the space’s capabilities.

13 News spoke to another individual associated with the post office, also wishing to remain anonymous, who said they weren’t even aware of the closure until seeing it on Facebook.

“I understand why the customers are angry,” She said, sighing. “I do. I would be angry too, if I had a P.O. box there.”

Customers and staff weren’t the only ones surprised by the closure. The building’s owner, Ken Schmanke, had not received any communications from the USPS before the notice was posted. Schmanke, of K-1 Realtity, purchased the building in 2022.

13 News exhausted all options attempting to contact Topeka’s postmaster, Harry J. Plante. He did not return the phone calls and messages made to himself and his assistant, fax, email, or LinkedIn communications.

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