“The last word I got is that they’re still conducting reviews and that they are slowly releasing projects,” Hubbard said. “And ours has not been one of them yet.”

That review began about five months ago, when the Tonganoxie community was in the midst of a discussion about a site for a new building to replace the existing downtown post office. The U.S. Postal Service had chosen a two-acre tract near the southeast corner of Laming Road and Woodfield Drive just north of the county annex. The land is about a block north of U.S. 24-40.

That selection met with some dissent from some city council members and local residents, who said they preferred the new post office be built closer to downtown.

Once the postal service’s review is complete, a town meeting will be attended by Russ Rainey, postal service project manager.

“I think we have another meeting with the city council, where Russ will come in and discuss it and say, OK folks, this is what we’ve selected in the best interest of postal service,” Hubbard said. “And he’ll answer questions.”

That meeting would be followed by solicitation of bids from contractors to build the new building.

But Hubbard said he’s received no word about when the new post office in Tonganoxie will be back on track.

“I might hear something in a month. I might hear something in a year,” he said. “We could be waiting another year or two. But then again, I might get an e-mail Monday morning saying we’re a go.”

For now, postal service workers will continue to crowd into the existing post office, 526 E. Fourth.

Plans to construct a new building are in response to growth in the volume of mail being handled because of increases in the area’s population.

“The limbo continues,” Hubbard said. “Basically, that’s the only solid thing I know.”