I think a restaurant  with patio and TVs and a Mexican place would be good.

I would love to see some great small eating places like Moe's or Roly Poly.   A bakery/coffee shop would be great. Also maybe a hallmark or something like that with a great selection of greeting cards, gift wrap and gifts.  
 
I would also like to see the post office place a drop box at the end of the parking lot (like the drive-up area at the vestavia or hoover post office) near the big plaze sign to decrease traffic in the parking lot (man those spaces are tiny!)

I love the idea of a post office drop box.  A good reasonably priced Mexican restaurant would be great.  It doesn't have to be to fancy, but good fresh salsa and possibly a drive-thru would surely be a hit.

Quote from BluffParkwriter on 10/27/07 at 8:58pm:

 
They will give you tape?  Well, BPW, we'll have to disagree on this one thing.  Let me tell you a little story about that "nice place".  This past February I had to ship a package for my mother-in-law to Virginia.  The package was a computer.  I decided to go to Hoover Shipping, although the last time I went there I had a very poor experience.  It was when we were putting up the fliers announcing the first Bluff Park meeting.  I went there to make copies and the total was $1.95.  I didn't have cash, so I handed her my debit card.  She said she couldn't do a charge for under $5.00 (which, by the way is against Visa/Master Card rules - you cannot have a minimum - cost of doing business - I'll provide links if you'd like).  Anyway, I was in a hurry back then, didn't know the rules, had already made copies, so I bought something else to bring my total over $5.00.  I digress.  
 
I walk into Hoover Shipping during my lunch break with this rather large box (24" x 25" x 15").  The person behind the counter was waiting on another lady who was shopping for Mardi Gras cards (yes, there are Mardi Gras cards!!).  Multi-tasking was not one of her talents, as she just stood there as the customer was looking at their vast selection of cards, while I was waiting.  A lady (later to be identified as the owner) came out of the back, went behind the counter, made sure she didn't make eye contact with me so that she wouldn't have to help me, and then went back to the back room.  Finally the customer decided to walk across the store to look at some jewelry (in a shipping store??) and the clerk asked if she could help me.  I felt like saying "No, I always walk into shipping stores carrying huge boxes just to stand around" but I didn't, as I was in a hurry.  I said I needed to ship the box.  I lifted the box on the counter and the clerk measured it.  She then weighed it.  36 lbs.  I gave her the address to be shipped to, and then my billing address.  This caused much confusion as my billing address is a PO Box and she was unable to handle entering the numbers, and she had to call "I'm too busy to help you because I'm the owner", who came out and finished the data entry.  The total was $41.00.  Wow, I thought, that's a lot to ship a box.  Please note the dimensions and the stated weight.  I left the store after getting my receipt and the tracking number.
 
When I got back to my office, I went to the UPS site and entered the package dimensions and weight to find out what it would have cost had I gone to UPS directly instead of a shipping center.  $29.00.  I called UPS to make sure and they confirmed, based on the weight, dimensions and shipping type it would be $29.00.  I called FedEx and they said $26.00.  I then called Hoover Shipping and told them that I did not want it shipped, that I would come back for a refund after I got off work.  The owner wanted to know why and I told her that I could get it shipped for a lot less somewhere else.  She got a little snippy and I said that it was not a good thing to talk to customers that way.
 
I left work at 4:15pm to go back to Hoover Shipping.  I arrived at around 4:30 pm.  This is where it gets interesting.  I walked in and went to the back counter.  There was a man dressed in a purple outfit wearing a gold mask behind the counter, sitting down.  The owner began to do my refund paperwork and went in the back to get my box.  While she was gone, the man in the golden mask came up to the counter and put his face (with the mask on) about four inches from my face.  He began to tell me that he didn't appreciate the way that I had talked to his wife.  At first I thought he was kidding, especially with that mask on.  Then I realized he wasn't.  I very nicely told him that I don't respond very well to people wearing gold masks, especially those threatening me.  He removed his mask and repeated what he said.  I smiled and felt sorry for him.  The owner returned, told her husband to sit down and shut up and asked for my receipt.  I didn't have it.  I left it at work.  She said she couldn't give it to me unless I had the receipt.  I drove all the way back to work, retrieved the receipt and drove back.  I got my package and left.
 
Here's where it gets really, really good.  I drove down to FedEx/Kinkos at the Galleria.  I brought the package in and filled out the paperwork and took it up to the counter.  The clerk measured and weighed the package and said $18.00.  I said "What?  Are you sure?".  Yes, she said.  $18.00.  I told her that I wasn't complaining, but that Hoover Shipping wanted to charge me $41.00.  No, she said, $18.00 was correct.  And the "interesting" part was that the package weighed 28 lbs. at FedEx, 8 lbs. less than at Hoover Shipping.  Hmmm.  How interesting.
 
Nope, BPW, those people who run Hoover Shipping, who live in Lake Cyrus, aren't as "nice" as you might think.  And neither is their scale or their rates.  

Quote from BluffParkwriter on 10/27/07 at 10:32pm:

 
Yes, the tone of my post was directed at them, not at you.  Although it's been almost nine months, it still gets me a little riled up.  Calling the cops in this case wouldn't have done any good.  They are just rude people.  Remember I said that the lady was looking for Mardi Gras cards?  I was in there on Fat Tuesday and the owner's husband was dressed up for some sort of Mardi Gras party.
 
These folks have a lot of money, which is why I brought up Lake Cyrus.  Although most people who live there are like the rest of us "regular" folk, these people aren't.  From the violation of Visa/MasterCard regulations regarding the minimum charge on a credit card purchase, to overcharging on a shipment.  It was evident that I had caught them in a lie with the dispute of the shipping charge and they become rather hostile and showed it by their "better than thou" attitude.  Small businesses don't need to treat customers the way I was treated.  For that matter, even big businesses don't need to, but a customer is less important to the big business than to the small business.  
 
I won't forget the way I was treated by them.  Ever.  But I am glad that you've had a positive experience with them, as nobody should have to go through what I went through.

My I suggest filing a complaint with the BBB. Don't know if it will do any good, but they may have some insight on who is responsible for enforcing the no mimimun transaction thing. There is a gas station in pelham that does the same thing (I think there limit is $3.00). It's interesting how the merchandise is priced so that the total is just shy of the mimimum limit  
 
Next time I am in the post office I will ask the ladies what it takes to get a drop box set up at the end of the lot. It may be a property issue, but pehaps whoever owns or maintains the plaza signage wouldn't be opposed to the idea.
 

PharmD, I don't know if it's a government issue or a local issue, but please check and let us know.  One thing I haven't heard any objection to is the drop box.  Thanks for the great idea!!