Allston Post Office Closure Plan Draws City Pushback

Boston and state officials are fighting a U.S. Postal Service plan that could permanently close the long-shuttered Allston post office, reversing a 2025 pledge to reopen a replacement branch after the Harvard Avenue site closed in 2019.

Allston residents recently received letters saying USPS is weighing a permanent closure instead of a new neighborhood station, according to reporting by Boston.com and The Boston Globe. The shift drew sharp criticism at a Boston City Council hearing this week, even as the Postal Service said no final decision has been made and public feedback is still being collected.

Why the Allston Post Office Closure Fight Matters

USPS closed 47 Harvard Avenue in 2019 citing structural problems and left Allston without its own post office for nearly seven years. In June 2025, an agency official told Mayor Michelle Wu the service had made a “final decision” to reopen nearby—commitments City Council President Liz Breadon said neighbors planned around after years of engagement.

Breadon, who represents Allston-Brighton and called the hearing, said roughly 87,000 people in the two neighborhoods now rely on a single Brighton post office, while Newton—with a similar population—has 10. Older residents, immigrants, and small-business owners who need in-person services are among those squeezed by long Brighton lines, councilors and residents testified.

Markey, Breadon, and City Hall Push Back

“The Allston neighborhood was promised a post office, and they deserve a post office,” Sen. Ed Markey said in a statement, arguing USPS is turning its back on Commonwealth communities. Breadon urged the agency to “honor its commitments,” calling the abrupt reversal incredibly frustrating after planning and anticipation.

USPS officials declined invitations to testify Tuesday, the Globe reported. Government relations director Scott Slusher wrote state officials in July that the agency must carefully evaluate multi-million-dollar expenditures such as Allston while its finances are dire—warnings that federal officials say could leave USPS short of cash as early as February.

What Happens Next for Allston-Brighton

USPS says it is still gathering comments before any permanent-closure determination. Residents at the hearing, including longtime Allston neighbor Wendy Schwartz, described tangible inconvenience and urged officials to keep fighting for a restored branch rather than accept the Brighton-only status quo.

The postal fight lands amid a broader City Hall push on neighborhood services and housing production, including the Boston Housing Accelerator Fund’s $35 million loan round and state budget debates covered in our report on Healey’s $2.24B supplemental budget. For Allston-Brighton, the near-term test is whether pressure from Wu’s office, Breadon, Markey, and neighbors can force USPS to keep the reopening promise—or lock in another decade without a local counter.