BETHESDA, Md. – In this
suburb of Washington, D.C., gas stations have been disappearing as owners sell
the valuable land to developers, the Washington Post reports. Along Wisconsin
Avenue, a BP and two Exxons stations have shuttered their pumps in preparation
of demolition for a high-rise apartment structure. A developer recently purchased
the remaining gasoline station on the strip, with plans to turn it into an
office building.
On a nearby road, a BP
station removed its pumps in March in anticipation of a condo building taking
its place, while a Shell station is being considered for redevelopment. “The
properties are just worth too much money,” said R. Steven Embrey, general
manager at Eastham’s Auto Service Center. The station shuttered its pumps last
September, and now operates the auto repair shop until construction on an apartment
building commences.
Across the Washington,
D.C., region, gas stations are closing and being replaced by high-rise
buildings. “In Georgetown, we have three gas stations,” said Anthony M. Lanier,
president of EastBanc, a development business. “I think every one of those will
be built on in the foreseeable future because of land values.”
While gasoline stations
have been demolished in Washington, D.C., proper and New York City for the past
two decades, industry analysts point out how the gasoline business has changed
that is tipping the hand of more station owners. Wholesale gas prices have
skyrocketed, leaving stations to slash their own profit margins at the pump to
avoid losing customers. While many stations survive by expanding in-store sales
and adding car washes and auto repair bays, stations on smaller plots in inner
suburbs and cities don’t have that luxury.
“It’s hard to give up a
business after 21 years — my mechanics and the community were all like a family
— but when the company is losing money, it’s a no-brainer,” said George
Kavadoy, who cited increased taxes, labor costs and environmental compliance as
one reason he’s leasing his land to TD Bank.