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Wicker Park post office plans December opening on Damen Avenue

Wicker Park post office plans December opening on Damen Avenue

Built World Chicago, IL local

USPS says the replacement branch will open in the first week of December, nearly two years after the Ashland Avenue location closed.

Today: USPS sets December target for Wicker Park branch

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Wicker Park has been without a local post office since its Ashland Avenue branch closed in early 2025, forcing residents to travel to Logan Square, Lincoln Park or elsewhere for stamps, shipping and P.O. boxes. A USPS spokesperson now says the replacement branch at 1520 N. Damen Ave. is aiming to open in the first week of December.

USPS said after the closure that it would find a substitute location as close as possible, but it offered few details once signage appeared at the Damen Avenue storefront this spring. The December target would restore retail service in the 60622 area code, though USPS has not said what services the new branch will offer.

Why it matters

Residents in one of Chicago's densest neighborhoods will regain a local place to ship packages, buy stamps and collect mail.

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Key Indicators

First week of December
Target opening
USPS spokesperson Mark Inglett gave the first-week-of-December target on Oct. 30, 2026.
Early 2025
Previous branch closed
The Ashland Avenue branch closed after its lease expired.
1520 N. Damen Ave.
New branch address
The planned branch is in a shopping plaza across from Wicker Park.

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People Involved

MI
Mark Inglett
United States Postal Service spokesperson
Provided the December opening target for the Wicker Park branch

Organizations Involved

United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
Federal agency
Planning to open a replacement Wicker Park branch in December

The federal postal agency is opening a replacement branch at 1520 N. Damen Ave. after closing Wicker Park's Ashland Avenue location.

Timeline

2025 October 2026

4 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. USPS sets December target for Wicker Park branch

    Today Announcement

    Spokesperson Mark Inglett said the branch aims to open in the first week of December.

  2. Chick-fil-A opens in former post office

    Reuse

    The old Ashland Avenue post office storefront became a Chick-fil-A.

  3. USPS signage appears on Damen Avenue

    Facility

    Signage went up at 1520 N. Damen Ave. in spring 2026.

  4. Wicker Park post office closes on Ashland Avenue

    Closure

    The 1240 N. Ashland Ave. branch closed in early 2025 after its lease expired.

Scenarios

1

Wicker Park post office opens in early December

Likely Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: USPS spokesperson Mark Inglett and Block Club Chicago

USPS has set a first-week-of-December target for 1520 N. Damen Ave. If the storefront and staffing are ready, retail service resumes nearly two years after the Ashland Avenue branch closed.

2

USPS misses December target and opening slips into 2027

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Block Club Chicago, which reported USPS provided few specifics

USPS has not described the branch's services or given a firm date beyond the first week of December. If the location is not ready, the neighborhood's service gap extends into a third year.

3

Damen Avenue branch opens without full retail or P.O. box service

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Block Club Chicago, citing USPS's lack of detail on offerings

The old Ashland Avenue branch offered retail service and P.O. boxes. USPS has not said what the Damen Avenue location will provide, leaving open the possibility of a limited-service branch.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

Early 2025

Wicker Park post office closure (2025)

The USPS branch at 1240 N. Ashland Ave., which offered retail service and P.O. boxes, closed after its lease expired. USPS said it would find a nearby substitute and maintain service until preparations at a new location were complete.

Then

No replacement opened, and residents traveled to Logan Square, Lincoln Park or elsewhere for postal services.

Now

The empty storefront became a Chick-fil-A in March 2026 while the neighborhood waited for a new branch.

Why this matters now

The current December target would close a service gap that began with that closure.

March 2026

Former post office reuse as Chick-fil-A (2026)

The former Ashland Avenue post office was converted into a Chick-fil-A, which opened in March 2026.

Then

The site stopped being a postal facility.

Now

The conversion shows how quickly former postal sites can be reassigned while USPS searches for a replacement.

Why this matters now

It marks the concrete loss of the old branch as Wicker Park awaits the Damen Avenue location.

Sources

(1)
Block Club Chicago