SWANNANOA, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The new Swannanoa post office has a signed 10-year lease, and the U.S. Postal Service has confirmed the project is fully funded and approved, according to Buncombe County Commissioner Jennifer Horton.

Horton provided the update Monday after communicating with Postal Service officials about plans to replace the Swannanoa post office, which was damaged beyond repair by flooding from Tropical Storm Helene.

The new post office will be at 2230 U.S. 70, in the former Family Dollar building, less than a mile from the former location at 2133 U.S. 70.

Horton said the lease was signed April 23 and includes a firm 10-year term with two five-year renewal options. Neither the Postal Service nor the property owner has an early termination right under the lease, she said.

The lease also includes provisions addressing responsibility for repairs if the building is damaged, according to Horton.

“This is a long-term commitment, not a temporary arrangement,” Horton said in her monthly community update.

Design work is still underway, and a construction contract has not yet been awarded. The Postal Service has not provided an estimated completion date, Horton said. A construction timeline is expected after the design is completed and a contractor is selected.

“I know what everyone really wants is a date,” Horton said. “I want one too. But I would rather tell you exactly what I know than guess and be wrong.”

USPS financial concerns

Horton also asked Postal Service officials whether the agency’s broader financial problems could affect the Swannanoa project.

In March, Postmaster General David Steiner warned that the Postal Service could run out of cash as early as February 2027.

During testimony June 24, however, Steiner said the agency’s financial outlook had changed and that it was no longer projecting a cash shortfall in 2027.

The Postal Service continues to face significant long-term financial challenges and has asked Congress for action.

For the Swannanoa project, Horton said Postal Service officials confirmed that funding has been approved and that no additional funding review is required.

Horton said she plans to continue checking with the Postal Service each month until construction is complete.

“Swannanoa lost a great deal in Helene,” Horton said. “Getting the post office home is one of the pieces of normal life we are still waiting on, and I have not forgotten it.”