Downtown Detroit post office closed because of power outage

DETROIT – Mail to the USPS’ Detroit Processing Center is being re-routed to two other facilities because of a power outage.

DTE Energy said the outage at the building at 1401 W. Fort Street  is a result of a cable failure in a nearby underground substation. The utility company said it has set up generators at the building and hopes to have power back on Thursday.

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To minimize disruption of mail service, operations will go through facilities in Allen Park and Pontiac.

"Our main focus is to not cause any delays in mail service," says District Manager Lee Thompson. "We have a contingency plan in place to process and deliver the mail. We are also working to accommodate our employees as we have work available at other locations."

What customers can do

Customers with PO Box service at the George W. Young Post Office will be able to continue to pick-up mail at that location. The retail operations are closed.

For retail services customers can visit the Jefferson Station, 10721 Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48214.

What employees should do

Employees are given an option to use annual leave or to temporarily relocate to another facility to work.

“We are providing transportation to and from their permanent work location”, say Thompson. “If an employee decides to use their personal vehicle to reach the temporary work assignment, we are paying them mileage.  As there is work to be done in servicing the American public, we are doing everything possible to accommodate our employees in this emergency situation.

Employees are asked to call the Hotline phone number, 1-888-363-7462, for reporting instructions.