Webster University is looking into using the old Post Office building downtown as a satellite campus. Currently, federal officials occupy the building, but the government plans to empty its offices in less than two years.

Webster wants to convert the building into an education and cultural center with small art exhibits, concerts and other activities.

“It’s now a proposal, but several criteria must be filled before anything happens,” said Karen Luebdert, vice president and executive assistant to the president at Webster University.

The 116-year-old building is bounded by Olive, Eighth,, Ninth and Locust streets. Although there have been various ideas tossed around for reusing the landmark building-including as a branch of the St. Louis Art Museum-the only solid proposal has come from officials at Webster University.

Webster wants to convert the old Post Office into a lively education and cultural center with credit and non-credit courses, perhaps small art exhibits, noontime concerts and other activities, Luebdert said.

According to Luebdert, Webster already has a building located downtown.

“The Lambert Building has resided downtown for over 20 years,” Luebdert said. “We’re just now expanding on our downtown area. It’s a new enlarged location.”

Currently, Webster University utilizes a building with 25,000 square feet. The old Post Office has 120,000 usable square feet.

“While we’re not sure if we’ll use all of that space, it is certainly a significant difference in size,” Luebdert said.

“Our plan is to improve the sites where we are located,” Luebdert said. “We have 95 locations around the world in places such as London, China and Bermuda, as well as the United States,” Luebdert said.

“This is part of the revitalization of downtown,” Luebdert said, referring to the $1.3 billion-plus Downtown Now plan that calls for revitalizing the area.

“This is a strong move, very consistent with Webster University’s mission,” Luebdert said. “We just think it’s an excellent opportunity,” Luebdert said.

While Webster University is enthusiastic about ideas to use the old Post Office, the plan is still in the works, Luebdert emphasizes. The plan would cost the University at least $15 million, a study says, and Webster would need outside funding to complete the project.

Although Webster’s plan to use the old Post Office doesn’t directly affect Saint Louis University students, the idea has been on the minds of students.

The possibility of universities’ opening satellites downtown was brought up in very general terms during the development of the Downtown Now, plan according to Kathleen Brady, vice president for facilities management and civic affairs.

“Saint Louis University was not approached specifically about such an option.”

However, satellite campuses are not a foreign idea to SLU. We have locations in South County and in Belleville, Ill., according to Brady.

“To my knowledge, Saint Louis University has no plans to expand into downtown,” Brady said.

“Our Midtown location puts us only a couple of miles from downtown already.”