WakeMed set to take over Post Office building in Cameron Village

The Cameron Village building that currently houses the U.S. Postal Service is set to be turned into new offices for WakeMed.

WakeMed announced Tuesday that it would be redeveloping the mid-century building at 505 Oberlin Road into a medical office building.

The announcement comes weeks after the building’s owner, York Properties, said the building, built in 1962, would be getting major upgrades. The building’s current tenants, including the Postal Service will all be leaving the building at some point in the future, York Properties said last month.

The building will primarily be used by WakeMed Physician Practices, and the facility is slated to open in mid-2020.

“Our presence into this area aligns with WakeMed’s mission and our commitment to bring accessible health care resources close to home,” said Tom Cavender, vice president of facilities and construction for WakeMed, in a statement.

“A Raleigh landmark, Cameron Village is a great example of a neighborhood transitioning to a walkable community, where essential services including schools, offices, shopping, parks, public transportation — and now health care — will be readily available.”

The U.S. Postal Service said on Tuesday that it did not have a timetable yet for when it will leave 505 Oberlin Road.

“The Postal Service does not have specific plans to relocate at this time, but we understand that the property owner intends to have a new occupant in the coming months,” said Philip Bogenberger, a USPS spokesman for North Carolina, in an email.

“When a Post Office relocates, the Postal Service tries to find a location as close as reasonably possible to the current site to remain convenient for customers and that suits the Postal Service’s operational needs. During the transition period, Cameron Village employees would service customers at other Raleigh Post Offices.”

The Oberlin Road building was built in 1962 by York Properties, and was last remodeled in 1975, according to Wake County property records. It has a total of 42,000 square feet of heated space and an assessed value of $3.5 million, county records state.

In an interview with The News & Observer last month, George York, president and CEO of York Properties, said finding a single tenant for the building was an opportunity to rejuvenate an aging building. Many older properties around Cameron Village have been redeveloped in recent years into condo and apartment buildings.

“Selfishly, we are happy that we were able to find a deal that made economic sense to keep the building,” York said. “The allure of tearing it down and maximizing density was certainly there.”

This story was originally published October 9, 2018 at 12:34 PM.