Mrvan wants answers on 'temporary' closure of Wheeler post office going on three years

Congressman Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, wants to know why the "temporary" closure of the post office serving the unincorporated Porter County community of Wheeler has continued for nearly three years with no resolution.

In a letter sent Thursday to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner, Mrvan asks the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to promptly restore mail service to Wheeler's 435 residents, so they no longer have to travel nearly five miles to Hobart to pick up their mail.

"This creates significant barriers for Wheeler residents, as the area does not receive door-to-door mail delivery service. As a result, instead of having 24-hour access to their P.O. boxes, residents must find time during businesses hours to go to Hobart to collect critical mail — including financial documents, prescription medicine, and Social Security checks," Mrvan said.

The congressman said his repeated efforts to get answers from USPS have resulted in not much more than vague assurances that USPS management is seeking options for P.O. box mail delivery to resume in Wheeler.

"The USPS universal service obligation dictates that all Americans receive reliable, affordable and consistent mail service regardless of location. To fulfill this promise to Wheeler residents, I urge USPS to expeditiously restore services in Wheeler and publicly provide transparent information on the status of these efforts," Mrvan said.

The former Wheeler Post Office building, located at 305 Railroad Ave., was shuttered in July 2023 for what was described at the time as a temporary closure for building repairs.

Mrvan said proposals by local officials to relocate the facility, including Union Township, which previously tried to lease land to USPS for a drop-in-place post office, have yet to spur any concrete action by the postal service.

"I am deeply concerned that the prolonged closure of the Wheeler Post Office has made it exceedingly difficult for my constituents to access convenient, reliable and efficient postal services," Mrvan said.

Mrvan sent a similar letter to USPS officials last year after the federal agency terminated its operating agreement with the post office substation in Winfield, which is about nine miles south of Wheeler.