BOZEMAN — The City of Bozeman is pursuing ownership of the historic Federal Building after the U.S. General Services Administration announced plans to sell the property as part of a nationwide effort to reduce underused federal office space.
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The building at 10 W. Babcock St. has housed downtown Bozeman's post office for decades and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It opened in 1966, replacing buildings that previously occupied the block.
The GSA announced Thursday that the Bozeman property is among a number of federal buildings slated for disposal. While the building is expected to be sold, officials have not announced a buyer, redevelopment plans or a timeline for the sale.
The announcement comes months after the U.S. Postal Service notified customers that the downtown post office could eventually relocate because its lease at the Federal Building would not be renewed.
The notice, posted in April, said USPS is searching for a new location near the current downtown site and that retail services would remain at the Federal Building until preparations for a move are complete.
However, in a statement provided to MTN News after requests for an interview, USPS said no final decision has been made about relocating downtown retail services.
“The Postal Service is aware of the planned sale of the Federal Building. USPS evaluates facility needs on an ongoing basis to ensure safe, reliable service for customers. There is no final decision currently regarding any relocation of postal retail services in downtown Bozeman.
"Our priority is continuity of service, and any potential relocation would follow the process required under federal regulations, including public notice and the opportunity for public comment.”
"The Postal Service is aware of the planned sale of the Federal Building. USPS evaluates facility needs on an ongoing basis to ensure safe, reliable service for customers. There is no final decision currently regarding any relocation of postal retail services in downtown Bozeman."
USPS added that maintaining uninterrupted service is its priority and that any potential relocation would follow the federal public notice process, including an opportunity for public comment.
On Friday afternoon, the City of Bozeman announced it plans to pursue acquiring the property through the National Park Service's Historic Surplus Property Program, which allows local governments to obtain and preserve eligible historic federal buildings.
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According to the city, acquiring the building would allow Bozeman to consolidate multiple city departments under one roof, preserve the historic structure, and keep the downtown post office as a tenant.
"For many years, the City of Bozeman has kept an eye on the Federal Building as a potential spot to relocate three different city buildings under one roof," the city said in a statement. "If the city can acquire the building through this program, residents would have greater ease of access to multiple city services, the building would be retained as a historic building, and we could keep the post office as a tenant."
Bozeman resident Josie Kaufman said she was surprised to learn the building is slated for sale while mailing a package Friday morning.
"I think the post office is convenient to have a downtown location," Kaufman said. "I would have definitely been shocked today if I would have come and it was like, 'I got to go to Baxter.'"
She said she hopes any future changes maintain access to postal services downtown.
"I think overall there are probably a lot of federal buildings that could be cut," Kaufman said. "I don't know if this is one of them, to be honest. I have no idea what the upstairs floors are."
MTN News requested an interview with USPS officials, but the agency declined and instead provided a written statement. The GSA's local building manager told MTN News he had no additional details to share about the sale process.
At this time, no final decisions have been announced regarding the building's future ownership or whether the downtown post office will ultimately relocate.
