"It has been a long time coming for this new post office," US Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland said at the groundbreaking ceremony, adding a reference to "the years of hard work that went into making this post office a reality."

The city had been working with one-time property owners George Valanos and Gary Modjeska on a development project for the parcel since the 1980s. And when the post office approached the city about building on the site a few years ago, the then-owners objected. Much conflict ensued, but the city eventually won out and gave the go-ahead for the post office to build. The Greenbelt Post Office is expected to move from its current locale underneath the Greenbelt Co-Op on Center Way to the new facility in the spring of 2006.