In coming weeks, post office officials will be soliciting local property owners as the Tonganoxie post office looks for a new home. It’s all-but decided that the post office will leave its downtown location, where it’s been situated for the past 40 years.

And exactly what effect that will have on downtown Tonganoxie remains to be determined. But it’s clear there will be an effect.

Often, traffic at the post office is brisk. As local residents and local business employees pick up their mail, they also visit other downtown businesses. They may coordinate a trip to the post office with lunch at one of Tonganoxie’s downtown restaurants. Or they may simply swing by city hall to drop off a payment or ask a question.

It’s quite possible all of that will change, as post officials look throughout the city for land that’s suitable for a new, larger post office that can accommodate an increasing number of letters and parcels.

And while a new post office will signal that Tonganoxie’s moving on its way to bigger and better days, the loss of the post office could have detrimental effects on downtown businesses. Traffic downtown will be less. A major building downtown will sit empty, unless another business decides to move into the post office building.

It would be unfortunate for all of Tonganoxie if the flight of the post office sounds a death knell for downtown. After all, Tonganoxie’s downtown is the envy of many surrounding cities — as well it should be.