Shell station near Brightleaf Square goes under the knife

If you're looking for gas around downtown, your hunt may get a tad bit longer over the next few months. An eagle-eyed reader noted that the Shell station at Watts, Main & Morgan St. looks these days more like its been hit by a mortar shell -- or like Hurricane Hanna arrived a bit early and a bit harshly.

No, the station isn't getting torn down to make room for more luxury townhouses -- though if it were vacant land, I wouldn't be surprised. No, the word on the street (literally, the adjacent Papa John's manager, via the Trinity Park listserv) is that the station will be renovated/rebuilt in the next ninety days before re-opening as a gas station by the end of the year.

The property remains owned by M.M. Fowler, the Bull City's gas station maven. No idea whether it will remain a Shell or morph into the Family Fare-style BP more common on Durham streets.

Comments

[etselec]

Holy crap!! That was one of my favorite gas stations. :( I never saw a notice on the door when I've been there lately, either.

[jeff]

This was one of my only places to get diesel gas downtown. It will be a rough 90 days driving further away just to get gas.

[Joshua Allen]

Wouldn't it be nice if the owner built an historic looking gas station... ala the Mad Hatters building or the old gas station on Foster St. near Man Bites Dog? I'm sure the possibilities are slim, but I can dream ...

[Lee]

I know the original plan was to be a Family Fare but I don't know if that's still the plan.

[GreenLantern]

Gomer and Goob are finally opening a new fillin' station. Ethyl and High-Test are coming back as alternative fuels, along with Moon Pies and RC Colas!

[Ted]

I didn't see any notice either(as the aforementioned 'adjacent' manager). I talked often with the Shell manager, and he didn't seem to know about it in advance. Sunday evening no one knew, by Tuesday morning the refrigeration units were coming out and all the stock was pulled. Can't believe they wouldn't have done it in June/July/Aug timeframe if they (owners) knew the need ahead of time, as this is bound to be a couple of the highest sales/revenue months of the year.

[CG]

Or better yet, how about if they built a very modern building? New buildings that are meant to look old are usually quite cheesy.

[Allen]

Hey, you'd shutup about those Moonpies if you knew what was good for you, buddy! Mmm...Moonpiesss and a Diet Pepsi...*drooling gargle*

[fritz]

Family Fare suits me ....BP is where I'm gassin

Hope the old workers get rehired

[Visconti]

In a recent trip to Madrid I noticed that many of Repsol's gas stations along the freeways had unique modern designs. They did not seem like cookie cutter models, but instead very beautifully designed buildings. A landmark design for the Shell station would be a dream come true.

[Monkey Boy]

Whew! For a moment, I was going to really worry about where I was going to go downtown for gas, loto tickets, a jug of malt liquor and a $10 hooker...

[anonymous]

Um, as of Friday morning it's not being renovated. It's GONE.

[buddy]

a "renovation" for a company that size usually means wiping it off the face of the site and building a sleek new cookie cutter metal and glass building. sad but true.

[Ted]

It was already about as 'cookie cutter' as it gets.

Nice design on the new station would be cool and stand out, yet I'm sure the franchiser has some expectations and whatever cookie cutter they choose will automatically meet those. Sadly, would probably cost more and be of vague to no economic incentive to try something new.

Anyone hear anything more about the old hospital building ? The crews have pretty much gutted the inside now, and have mounds of debris to push out the window openings. Last I heard was still going to be some kind of small hotel/suites run by/for Duke.