EDMONDS — The U.S. Postal Service plans to replace its existing downtown branch in the coming years.

After deliberation, a Postal Service real-estate expert has settled on what he believes to be an ideal spot: right next to the current post office on 201 Main St.

“It is basically the existing location,” Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper said.

The developer who owns the land at Second Avenue N. and Main Street wants to build a mixed-use development, Postal Service spokesman Ernie Swanson said. The location is two blocks from the ferry terminal.

The current post office will stay put while the new development is going up. When the new building is ready, the Post Office will move in so the developer can demolish the old site, Swanson said.

“We will be part of that development,” he said. “Once that new building is completed, and we’re in there, he’s going to knock down the old building where we are now.”

The new facility promises to be upgraded and modern. No timetable has been set for its completion, Swanson said.

The Postal Service has invited the city government to respond to the plans within 30 days.

Property records show that Edmonds 2020 LLC owns the land, which is slightly over three-quarters of an acre. City planners have designated the area as a downtown mixed commercial zone.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.