finance
Amazon and USPS Reach Tentative Delivery Deal; New Deal-Era Federal Building Faces Potential Sale
Amazon and the United States Postal Service have agreed to a tentative deal reducing Amazon's package volume through USPS by 20 percent after a year of negotiations. Separately, the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington, D.C., a New Deal-era structure with significant murals, has been added to a list for accelerated disposition, raising concerns about its possible sale and demolition.
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This arrangement preserves a key revenue source for the Postal Service.
Cohen Building The Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, originally the Social Security Board Building, was constructed during the New Deal era.
U.S. Treasury's Section of Fine Arts under the Works Progress Administration. Artists created pieces depicting themes related to social security legislation.
The Social Security Act established protections against economic hardships, shifting from prior emphases on individual self-reliance. The building's artwork was commissioned to explain this new social contract visually.
“It’s the ‘Sistine Chapel of the New Deal,’ in the words of the founder of the Living New Deal.”
Threats to the Building The Cohen Building has been added to a list of federal properties for disposition, indicating a sale process. Regulations protecting historic structures are being weakened, complicating preservation efforts. An organization is leading a campaign to save the building.
Artwork painted directly on the walls would be difficult to remove if demolition proceeds. No sources contradict the potential for sale or demolition, though the outcome remains uncertain.
Its interior features green marble walls and bronze-clad elevators designed for efficient public service operations. The structure exemplifies New Deal investments in public architecture and arts programs that employed up to 10,000 artists during the Great Depression.
