Somerset post office contract awarded

Talk about it

It’s been a year since the U.S. Post Office approached the Somerset Village Board about building a new facility.

First there was the design, then selecting the location, then putting the project out for bids. The U.S. Post Office wants to lease the building, not own it.

Now Dietrich Investments, Inc. of New Ulm, Minn., has won the contract to build and own the facility.

“They are still planning on starting this fall sometime,” said Todd Saterbak, project manager at Adkins Association of Architects in St. Paul. “We hope to close this week on the property.”

Adkins had already designed a 4,100-square-foot building. The current building is 1,642 square feet.

After considering three locations, it was decided to purchase land in River Hills Commons development, near the highway. The current facility is located on Main Street in downtown Somerset.

The decision to move the post office from downtown to the Highway 64 was based on space issues.

“We’ll have more room for our customers,” Pete Boetcher, general manager of the Somerset Post Office, said in an earlier interview. “The building will be a really good addition to our community.”

However, not all people are happy about the move. Joyce Aecht, Somerset resident for 75 years, said the elderly population enjoy the walk downtown to get their mail.

“A lot of people my age don’t drive and were miffed when we found out they are moving,” Aecht said.

Tags: somerset, post, office, contract