Champaign USPS facility to be converted into processing center

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The United States Postal Services has decided on the fate of the Champaign Processing and Distribution Center on Mattis Avenue.

After conducting a business review and getting public feedback, the facility is being modernized into a Local Processing Center.

The distribution operations will be transferred to the South Suburban P&DC in Bedford Park and Chicago South Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Forest Park.

This means once mail is collected in the area, it will be shipped to either facility, and from there the mail will be delivered. Even mail sent from one Champaign resident to another would follow this process.

Champaign Co. community opposing proposed post office changes

The local chapter of the American Postal Workers Union has spent the past few months fighting back against the change, and they still don’t plan on stopping.

“The fight is never completely over,” Brian Cunningham, the APWU Local 692 president, said. “We fight on, but we have to prepare, too. And this isn’t going to help anything in my personal opinion.”

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) filed a bill in Congress to stop USPS from consolidating offices like the ones in Champaign.

Budzinski files bill preventing changes to Central Illinois USPS centers

“If you’re going to downsize our distribution centers, you cannot be allowed to do that where our mail today is not being able to be delivered on time already,” the congresswoman said. “You’re going to exacerbate a problem.”

USPS will also invest up to $16.4 million to help streamline operations in Champaign. The service has also promised no layoffs will be made due to the change.

No decision has been made on the Springfield office yet, a USPS official told WCIA.

This is a developing story that will continue to be updated.

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