The Postal Service announced the decision late Friday to close the Manasota Processing and Distribution Center in Sarasota, and all workers will be offered other positions within the Postal Service. The move is expected to be complete by February 2014.

The consolidation will provide a cost savings to a service which has seen record losses in revenue and increasing costs for employee benefits. The U.S.P.S. says the consolidation will "provide cost savings while maintaining high levels of service and will be seamless to customers."

The Postal Service announced in 2011 that it planned to close 252 mail processing centers nationwide. Initially, it appeared the Fort Myers facility would be a primary candidate for closure. It employs 400 workers. However, it became apparent in early 2012 that Manasota would be the facility targeted for closure. A public meeting was held on the issue in April, with a final decision coming late Friday.

The decision to consolidate operations in Fort Myers could mean additional jobs for the region, but is a blow to the Sarasota area.