The Venetia Post Office in Peters is expected to undergo a major expansion soon, but it may be the first step to a townshipwide postal designation.

The U.S. Postal Service recently closed the bidding process for a new location to rebuild the post office or for an existing building to rent space. At issue is the size of the current office, located on Venetia Road.

The Postal Service rents about 1,152 square feet of office space from Edward and Garnet Schultz. The Postal Service is looking for an office closer to 4,000 square feet.

The Schultzes were among four bidders who submitted proposals. They are suggesting an expansion of the present office with an addition to the building. The identity and proposals of other bidders is unknown.

The post office has been at the site since 1980, becoming more and more cramped as Peters experienced a residential explosion that has since made it the most populous municipality in Washington County, with more than 21,000 residents.

In the Venetia area, the population has increased by more than 21 percent in recent years. The post office serves about 10 square miles with six rural routes.

"That's our busiest growing area," township Manager Michael Silvestri said of Venetia.

Peters is split approximately in half between residents living in Venetia and McMurray. Residents living in the McMurray area are served by the Canonsburg Post Office, while those living on the Venetia side have a different ZIP code and an address of Venetia, Pa.

Peters officials have for years discussed ways to get a single town name and ZIP code in the township, which they want to call "Peters, Pa." Officials say it would simplify the real estate and wage taxing process and erase confusion for developers and others who want to sell property in the township.

The township and postal service soon will send out a survey to Venetia residents to determine whether they would favor renaming the location Peters.

Mr. Silvestri said residents living in Venetia would have the option to continue using Venetia in their addresses.

Internal roadblocks in the Postal Service, such as union issues and concerns over whether urban and rural postal routes should be combined, make it unlikely that the township would get its own ZIP code right now, Mr. Silvestri said.

The township conducted a survey eight years ago, but residents shot down the idea of change, saying they preferred to remain Venetia.

Venetia resident Sharon DeSantis, who opposes a name change, said she likes the name and describes herself as a "die-hard Venetianite."

The Postal Service is now reviewing bids to determine whether to rebuild, relocate or expand, said Pittsburgh district spokesman Tad Kelley.

Mr. Kelley said postal officials will conduct a site review of contending properties between July and August. Notification of final selection is expected to be made public in September, in hopes of finalizing plans by the end of the year.