AS WARWICK’S BOOMING “TECH PARK” LOOKS TO REOPEN & CREATE HUNDREDS OF JOBS, ONGOING USPS ISSUES HINDER MOMENTUM; SCHUMER URGES USPS TO IMMEDIATELY STEP IN, ADDRESS DELIVERY ISSUES & HELP WARWICK BUSINESSES GROW AND DELIVER MORE JOBS

Recent Expansion Of Tech Park Has Positioned Warwick For Much-Needed Economic Boom Following Pandemic; However, As Orange County Businesses Start To Re-Open, Tech Park Faces Persistent Issues With Receiving Mail And Packages Vital To Opening and Operating, Sometimes Receiving None At All

Senator Says As Community Calls for USPS Action and Plan Have Gone Unanswered, 15 Businesses Within Tech Park Are Still Struggling To Receive Critical Equipment, Financial & Medical Information, And Other Important & Costly Items While Working Around the Clock to Plan for Reopening 

Schumer To USPS: Address The Issues, Expedite Solution, And Help Deliver Jobs To Warwick!

Continuing his advocacy for better United States Postal Service (USPS) access in Upstate New York, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on USPS to address ongoing issues with mail and package delivery at the Warwick Tech Park located in Orange County, New York. Specially, Schumer today called on USPS to meet with local officials and stakeholders to finally deliver a plan for the safe and secure package delivery for roughly 15 businesses located in the emerging Tech Park.

Schumer said that with the recent purchase and conversion of the 726-acre former Mid-Orange Correctional Facility into the Tech Park, the Town of Warwick became uniquely positioned as an emerging hub for job growth and economic development in the Hudson Valley. As businesses began to purchase property and start construction at the new Warwick site, the demand for timely and efficient mail and package delivery increased. However, Schumer explained that thus far USPS has not adapted and created a plan despite new and increasing demand.  Local officials and businesses within Tech Park say that USPS is currently delivering parcels for roughly 15 businesses at a single entrance, making it difficult for employees to obtain critical equipment, financial records, sensitive medical information, and more.

Schumer explained that the current USPS practice of dumping deliveries for businesses within the Tech Park at a single entrance could have an adverse effect on otherwise positive economic development of the area. Businesses have had to take time out of their already-hectic days to walk hundreds of yards away and retrieve their important packages, sometimes even requiring additional assistance and labor. Furthermore, business owners have said that the issues with retrieving mail in a safe and secure manner could affect the opening of their businesses, especially as they reimagine their business plans following the devastating economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Warwick Tech Park has huge potential for job creation and positive economic growth in Orange County, and its commercial ventures depend on reliable postal services,” said Senator Schumer. “At a time when we need economic development and strong business ventures more than ever, USPS should deliver on local concerns by meeting with the Tech Park businesses and Warwick officials to finally come up with a plan to fix these on-going delivery problems.”

The Senator also revealed that despite repeated requests from the community to the local postmaster for a collaborative solution, their pleas for urgent action have been largely ignored. He explained that ever since an initial meeting last fall, local officials have seen no action or plan from USPS to address persistent concerns.

Schumer added, “During these difficult times, the last thing that the businesses in the new Warwick Tech Park should have to worry about is their packages being stolen, misplaced, or damaged. That is why USPS needs to immediately deliver a plan to the community to alleviate these concerns so businesses can focus on re-opening and reimagining our economy.”

"As the Mid-Hudson Region progresses through the reopening phases, businesses need our support now more than ever. The persistent delivery problems at the Tech Park have gone on for far too long and we need the USPS to work with us and come up with a plan immediately to alleviate the concerns of our business owners here in Warwick,” said Town of Warwick Supervisor of Michael Sweeton. “The post office has caused headache after headache for several businesses in the Tech Park by dropping essential items like equipment, financial records, medical information, and more hundreds of yards away from intended recipients. We support Senator Schumer's push to address this issue immediately and look forward to working with the USPS on a collaborative solution."

"As an up-and-coming business in the Warwick Tech Park, the last thing we at urbanXtracts imagined causing us issues would be the delivery of our mail with USPS" said Eran Sherin, CEO of urbanXtracts. “We have not been able to receive our mail to even have Google verify our business address to support our online listing. We are grateful Senator Schumer has prioritized this issue so we can focus on growing, expanding and creating jobs right here at the Warwick Tech Park."

Schumer pointed out that the Mid-Hudson Region was one of the hardest areas hit by COVID-19 and the region is now in Phase-2 of reopening. As businesses start to open their doors and bring back employees, the Senator explained that receiving mail and essential packages is crucial for Warwick Tech Park businesses.

The Town of Warwick is poised to be the next Upstate tech hub, the senator said. Several business owners have already purchased property and begun construction. The corporate park is expected amount to between 450 and 500 local jobs. Current projects include the Hudson Sports Complex, the Citiva Company’s medical marijuana facility, space for companies involved in the growing CBD oil industry, and more.

Senator Schumer’s letter to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan can be found below:

Dear Postmaster General Brennan,

I write on behalf of the businesses and residents in the Town of Warwick regarding the accessibility of the current mail drop-off point for property and businesses owners located on State School Road and John Hicks Drive at the Warwick Valley Office and Technology Park in Warwick, New York. According to local officials, roughly fifteen businesses within the Tech Park have recently faced persistent delays and further challenges in receiving mail and packages delivered by the United States Postal Service (USPS). I urge USPS to meet with the impacted businesses in the Tech Park and local officials to expeditiously address issues impacting mail services that are inhibiting economic growth throughout the region.

In recent years, economic development in Warwick has boomed through the purchase and redevelopment of the 726-acre former Mid-Orange Correctional Facility that was converted into the Warwick Tech Park. The goal of preserving the state prison site and creating the Tech Park was to create hundreds of new jobs and economic development opportunities in Warwick. Several business owners have already purchased property and begun construction at the Tech Park site. For example, the former prison site is now home to an incubator space for companies in the burgeoning CBD oil industry, the Hudson Sports Complex, the Citiva Company’s medical marijuana facility and more. However, as businesses continue to buy parcels and attempt to open their doors for operation, it has been brought to my attention that the postal service has not adapted its services to fit the growing needs of Warwick business owners and residents.

Specifically, I have been informed that USPS is presently dropping off all packages, for roughly fifteen businesses, at a single entrance to the Tech Park, inhibiting employees from obtaining critical equipment, financial information, medical documents, and other important and costly items in a secure and timely manner. Furthermore, some business owners have expressed that these persistent mail issues may impact their businesses’ opening because additional labor is needed to obtain materials for construction and operation at the Tech Park.

Even more troubling, a number of written requests from the community to the local postmaster for a collaborative solution for package delivery and mail pick-up have gone unanswered. Businesses within the Tech Park, located on public roads, need a solution to this problem. I urge the USPS to answer the requests of the community and business owners and quickly meet with all impacted businesses to begin working with them to establish a mutually acceptable, long-term solution for package delivery and mail drop-off.

Given the importance of access to reliable mail and package delivery to the long-term economic growth of businesses within the Warwick Tech Park, I encourage the USPS to quickly address this issue and immediately work to reassess mail delivery to meet the needs of business owners and the Town of Warwick. Thank you for your attention to this important request.

Sincerely,

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