
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 7, 1995                   TAG: 9502070074
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DOWNTOWN POST OFFICE OPENS IN RENOVATED FORMER BANK BRANCH

The downtown Roanoke post office branch opened Monday in a new location, Church Avenue and First Street Southwest.

The new post office features a retail store format. It has a large counter and display area for selling collector stamps, post office memorabilia and packaging items.

``Our aim is to serve the customers faster and better,'' said Postmaster Billy Martin. ``In the past, many of our products haven't been as readily accessible for customers to see.''

Martin said the downtown post office is the second in the Appalachian postal district, which includes West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, to feature the retail format. The first was in Clarksburg, W.Va.

The new office features lighter and brighter colors to give customers ``a more friendly atmosphere,'' Martin said. The wall behind the main postal counter is yellow, and the floors and counters are light gray with red trim.

Martin said post office box customers will keep their box numbers but need to pick up new keys.

Since August, construction crews have been renovating the 5,700-square-foot space on Church Avenue that was formerly occupied by Dominion Bank. It has been vacant for more than 18 months since First Union National Bank, which bought Dominion, closed the branch.

The post office replaces the postal station on the ground floor of the Poff Federal Building. The General Services Administration in 1993 told the Postal Service to move so it could provide more room for federal courts and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Martin said the new location was selected after he received many requests that it remain downtown.

One drawback of the new office is the lack of off-street parking for customers. Martin says, however, that customers will no longer be competing with 13 floors of federal agencies for parking spaces.

``Overall, I don't think people will notice much difference in finding parking,'' he said.

by CNB