Ba= 484
October 3, 1963

Mr. 0. H. Martin
Deputy Regional Director
Post Office Department
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mr. Martin:

I am writing you at the suggestion of Mr. Tyler
Abne, Associate Geonral Counsel of the Post Office Department ia
Washington, with whom we have had several conversations with re-
pect to the future of the old Governor's Palace in St.Augustine,
which is presently occupied by the Post Office Department and
other federal agencies.

This Commission, chartered by congress and appointed
by President Kennedy, has set as the core of its program five exhi*
bition centers, to be executed in or-iginal colonial buildings. The
key building is of course the Governor's Palace, and this seemed
the only appropriate location of the United States National Elhthbi
tion Center. The Spanish government and the Latin American govern-
ments through The UAS have contracted for such centers, and it would
be tragic if the United States government were not ready by 1965.

Ir. Abeli tells me that the Post Office Department
can undertake a new building under the leasing program, but probably
not before July, 1964, the occupancy date wnich we had requested.
He suggests ihe possibility of temporary quarters if we must be in
at that time. But naturally the Postmaster, Lr. Bissett--who is
writing you separately--would prefer if at all possible tc go
directly into new permanent quarters.

4 are therefore hopeful that !r. Bissett and I
could confer with you at a very early date with respect to the pos-
sibilities of expediting the normal process of settin; up land
options and obtaining bids for privately constructed building to
be leased to the Peat Office Department. If this onmmission, on
behalf of the United States government, could obtain partial oocu.
pancy of the present building by July of 1964, we could postpone
full occupancy of the building until "he lauTer part of the year.















Mr. 0. H. Martin


page two

We have locally an owner of the best possible site for a new Post-
office who contends that he can have a building ready by mid-1964
if the contract can be awarded in a reasonable time. There are also
a couple of other nearby sites which need exploration.

Mr. Bissett and I are continuing the search for temporary
quarters, which might be made available by the City or Oounty, but
feel that it would be important to attempt to expedite the prooese
for the permanent building in the hope that this might be acoomplisbed
in tine.

I shall be flying to Washington the first of next week,
and oould go by way of Atlanta. Could you possibly see us en Monday,
October 7?

Cordially,

EWN/Mr
cot Mr. George Bissett
ZarleW. Newton
Director-General


October 3, 1963





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EARLE WILLIAMS NEWTON
DIRECTOR GENERAL





NATIONAL QUADRICENTENNIAL COMMISSION
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA










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POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20260





October 1, 1963






Mr. Earle W. Newton
Director-General (Acting)
National Quadricentennial Commission
46 St. George Street
St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Dear Mr. Newton:

This will reply to your letter of September 26 to Mr. Abell,
with reference to the Post Office quarters in St. Augustine. Mr. Abell is
out of town on the West Coast this week, but I have just spoken with him on
the phone, and he asked me to give you an answer to the question you raised
with reference to the needs of other federal agencies presently a part of the
federal building there.

The Post Office Department's space survey includes only the
needs of the Department itself, and has nothing to do with any other agency
that is presently located in the building or any agency which might be need-
ing space in the building. Our plan would be to go into our own building
under the leasing program and not in a federal building.

Mr. Abell will be back in the office on Monday, October 7, and
if there are any further questions, he will be glad to answer them for you.

Sincerely,



(Miss) Macie Nicholson
Secretary to Tyler Abell