A plan to move the Aurora post office to the Heary Building is on hold as village officials determine the next step without Wells College.

The U.S. Postal Service has planned for more than three years to move out of a village-owned building at 373 Main St. and into its historic home next door.

The Heary Building, 371 Main St., is owned by the Aurora Foundation, a partnership of the college and alumna Pleasant Rowland. However, the college stated in a recent letter to the postal service it would look at other tenants for the Heary Building space, USPS spokeswoman Maureen Marion said Wednesday.

“We read this letter as kind of saying the Heary Building is off the table,” she said.

The foundation had offered to pay for renovations to the Heary Building and demolition of the current post office, which was built about 50 years ago, to make room for parking in the crowded village center. In exchange, the village would receive access to about 1,000 feet of Cayuga lakefront property owned by the college.

Now, the postal service needs a lease extension or another plan for relocation possibly outside the center of the village.

“We're waiting for guidance or a conversation with the village,” Marion said. “If we need to go in a completely different direction, it could take two years.”

The postal service's lease with the village ends in March 2009, adding urgency to the situation.

Village Mayor Thomas Gunderson said the collapse of the plan is unfortunate, but not a total surprise. Part of the deal included a June 1 deadline for renovation to be under way for the post office in the Heary Building.

It puts the village in a difficult position, he said. Extending the lease would also mean some village investment in the current post office property and allowing it to expire could drive the post office to the outskirts of the village.

“Most people want to see the post office remain in the middle of the village,” Gunderson said. “But, I'm personally having a real problem because I do not believe the village should be in the real estate business, owning property and renting it out.

“The short term is that if in fact some negotiations can't happen then we're going to have to face spending money on that building,” he said.

The village Board of Trustees has not discussed the recent developments in detail yet.

“I'm not faulting anyone, but it's too bad that it didn't occur,” Gunderson said. “You try to keep hope that maybe somehow someone would get back together to negotiate.

“This thing had the potential to do so much good,” he said.

College officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net