A Berkeley developer plans to turn the city’s main Post Office into a retail operation while retaining postal services. Photo: Darius Wekwerth
After weeks of silence, Berkeley developer Hudson McDonald has acknowledged that it is the company that is negotiating with the USPS to buy the main Berkeley Post Office at 2000 Allston Way.
If successful, Hudson McDonald, which is best known for the construction of the Trader Joe’s building on University and MKL Jr. Way, said it plans to restore the 1914 building and develop the back for retail operations while offering the Post Office the opportunity of continuing to use the front lobby for postal services.
“There is a lot to be determined,” Chris Hudson, co-principal with Evan McDonald of the developer, said Tuesday. “But we want to preserve and restore the building, including retrofitting it, and we are having a conversation with the post office about them being tenant in the front part.” Currently about 80% of the building is empty.
Hudson said the Post Office had received several offers for the building but that Hudson McDonald was the only bidder in negotiation with USPS.(...)
Read the rest of Exclusive: Local developer Hudson McDonald in contract to buy downtown Berkeley Post Office (861 words)
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Post tags: Antonio Rossman, Berkeley Downtown Area Plan, Berkeley downtown initiative, Berkeley Post Office, Berkeley real estate, Chris Hudson, Downtown Berkeley, Hudson McDonald, post office sale, Save the Berkeley Post Office, U.S. Postal Service