The new University Station U.S. Post Office, 441 Lake Street, opens today, replacing a temporary location at University Bookstore and a previous site at the old University Square, the post office announced Friday.

The Lake Street station includes services exclusively tailored to students, including an Automated Postal Center to be installed this week and a possible passport service in the future.

Madison post office spokesperson Terri Bouffiou described the Automated Postal Center as akin to an ATM that allows a customer to use a credit card to complete nearly all the tasks done at the counter.

“It helps keep lines shorter. In some of the older sections of town, people have a hard time getting used to the idea of using the machine, but I don’t think students will find that difficult,” Bouffiou said.

The new office, located in the building space McDonald’s held until December 2006, had been planned since March 2007.

The post office was seeking a locale near the UW-Madison campus after its old building closed in May 2006 due to the demolition of University Square.

In the meantime, a portable trailer was parked in Library Mall in summer 2006 and University Bookstore housed a temporary location until noon Friday.

Bouffiou said the office had hoped to open by the start of classes, but did not release a debut date until Friday.

The location is expecting more customers because of its nearness to the flow of State Street traffic and will have more counters and extended hours.