RPD's new illegal fireworks drone detection program, a 3rd Street eminent domain consideration, and a $3.3 million contract to advance the design of a new downtown police headquarters are on Council’s agenda.
The Magnolia Center/Midtown Post Office quietly reopened Monday morning at 3682 Sunnyside Drive, nearly three years after a fire forced its closure and sent residents scrambling to downtown Riverside for their mail.
The small walk-up branch had served as more than just a postal facility for the Midtown neighborhood. Its closure in November 2022 disrupted daily routines and eliminated a gathering place where residents had conducted business on foot for decades.
"This post office means community," said Councilmember Steven Robillard, whose office worked with property owners to expedite permits for the rebuilding. "So many residents depend on the access here instead of going to downtown or to the Chicago Street post office."
During the three-year closure, the loss sparked a quiet storm of neighborhood comments on social media and neighborhood apps, with posts split between tribute to the beloved institution and despair that it might never return. The comments revealed how deeply the small office was embedded in neighborhood life, with residents sharing memories of postal workers who knew customers by name and lamenting the disruption to their walking routines.
The economic impact extended beyond postal services. Local businesses depend on the foot traffic generated by residents who stop at the post office, then grab lunch or visit nearby shops — the kind of neighborhood-driven commerce that keeps Midtown viable.
Inside the renovated facility, the layout and aesthetic remain largely unchanged from before the fire, though an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp has been added near the rear entrance. The walls are bare, awaiting the return of familiar postal service posters.
Among those at Monday's ceremony was former Councilmember Mike Gardner, who tested whether his PO box key still worked after three years. It did — and inside, he found a Christmas card waiting for him.
For a neighborhood that values walkable convenience, Monday's reopening represented the restoration of daily normalcy: the simple ability to handle business without leaving the neighborhood.
