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Congressman from Chris Murphy
News from Congressman Christopher Murphy
Representing the 5th District of Connecticut
1 Grove St. – New Britain, CT 06053 * 412 Cannon HOB – Washington, DC 20515
For Immediate Release Contact: Kristen Bossi
February 4, 2009 (202) 225-4476
Signed, Sealed, Almost Delivered for New
Hawleyville Post Office
Postal Service Receives Final Funding Approval, Expediting Access to New Site
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After months of uncertainty concerning the fate of the Hawleyville
Post Office, today Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) declared victory and announced that the
United States Postal Service has approved a new facility, to be built under an expedited schedule,
so that Hawleyville residents will continue to have their postal needs fully served.
“This is a tremendous victory for Hawleyville, and a shining example of how a community
rallying together for a common cause can make a difference. I am thrilled to have been a part of
this effort, and I look forward to joining Hawleyville residents to celebrate their new post office
location,” said Murphy.
Last week, Murphy was in constant communication with all stakeholders – including Postal
Service representatives and concerned residents – pressing all parties to come to the table and
find a solution, and was cautiously optimistic that a permanent location in Hawleyville would be
found. Late yesterday, Murphy’s office was notified by the Postal Service’s District Manager for
the Connecticut District, Edward F. Phelan, Jr., that he received confirmation that the funding
request for a replacement facility for the current Hawleyville Post Office was approved. This is
the final requirement needed to insure a move to new quarters in the community.
This funding will allow the Postal Service to expedite its relocation. It will provide in excess of
1,800 square feet of new space for postal employees and customers. It also provides for a long-
term lease and a capital investment that will provide a vibrant Post Office presence in
Hawleyville, with room to grow.
"Ann Marie - Good to talk with you earlier tonight. I just wanted to send you an e-mail that you could forward along to the legions of supporters of the Hawleyville PO to let them know what's happening from our end. I am so appreciative of all of your efforts, and all the passion that the supporters of the Hawleyville PO have put into the effort to save this post office. I am doing all I can to make this happen. I've been in conversations this week with both the landlord, Housatonic Railroad, and the USPS. Obviously, there has been a communication gap between the two over the course of lease negotiations, and I am doing my earnest best to bridge that gap. I don't know whether I will be successful in convincing the two parties to come back to the table, but I am trying to engage in some "shuttle diplomacy". At the very least, all of my efforts, combined with all of your efforts and those of Hawleyville, have put the pressure on the USPS to find a suitable new site for the Post Office as soon as possible. The upshot of my conversations is that the USPS still maintains that they have no plans to abandon Hawleyville and are looking for an alternative site."
Congressman Chris Murphy
January 28, 2009