By By Adrienne McKenzie
The Atmore Post Office facility is beginning a half-a-million dollar construction phase that will allow the building to be more appealing to both customers and employees.
Atmore postmaster Lester Cogollo said that right now no new post offices are being built and because of that, he has decided to go ahead with some much-needed renovations.
"There are not any new post offices being built right now," Cogollo said. "Several years ago I got estimates on what needed to be done to the building. We are doing remodeling and repairs."
The building has been in Atmore since 1935 and is in need of some maintenance.
Cogollo said there would be many different projects at the post office for the next few months, and possibly even into the next fiscal year. Most of the work will be done to the exterior portion of the facility.
"I believe in prevention maintenance," Cogollo said. "We are replacing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. We are doing some work to the roof, the gutters, the fascia board, we are working on the windows, ceilings and mortar joints. We are rebuilding our old shed outdoors and fixing our parking lot entrances."
The inside of the post office will also have a few changes made to it.
"The interior will undergo some painting and repairs for moisture damage," Cogollo said. "We are lowering the ceiling and replacing the floors in the break room. We are upgrading the employee's bathroom facilities. The mural in the lobby will be refurbished. We are redoing some lighting on the workroom floor."
According to Cogollo, the basement of the post office tends to flood when the weather becomes inclement so he has put in a request for some humidifiers for that area.
Postal customers need not worry about the service they will receive at the post office because the renovations will not affect them.
"Customer access to the postal service will not be affected," Cogollo said. "Some work will be done outside operating hours so it will not affect service."
Cogollo feels that the work has been needed for some time now and that it will allow his employees more comfort while they are at work.
"The renovations are well overdo and the upgrades will make for a better working environment," Cogollo said.
The post office is a key part of Atmore, Cogollo said. The renovations are a way to ensure the building looks great for the citizens and for people who pass through town.
"We want to make sure we present a good appearance to the community," he said. "We wish to make customer service as pleasant as possible. We realize we are an important part of the community and want to represent it really well."