Historic Gas Station restored and repurposed

[sgrizzle]

http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=82183

quote:
Avis opens lot in historic gas station
September 27, 2007
TULSA – After more than a decade of decay, one of the nation's four remaining classic Phillips 66 gasoline stations has reopened for use as an Avis rental car lot.
Starting in 1927, Wade Phillips built a series of small brick stations patterned more off of homes than businesses, using a front chimney, pitched roof and gables to present a friendly service atmosphere.
This downtown Tulsa station at 602 S. Elgin Ave. went up around 1932 along the original U.S. Route 66, serving motorists for about 40 years, said Tulsa developer Michael Sager. The tiny Cotswold Cottage shop with well under 1,000 square feet under roof then went through a number of reincarnations, as muffler shops and other ancillary uses, until it finally fell into disuse.
In all that time, Sager said the building was never remodeled for other use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Last year, when driving around downtown Tulsa to find a possible lot, Avis discovered the little 11,000-square-foot lot Sager had acquired about five years ago.
"We wanted to be in downtown," said Jarrod Wilson, district manager Avis/Budget Group in Tulsa and northwest Arkansas. "We felt like our Avis brand would really fit in the downtown area."
The nostalgic qualities of the old Phillips 66 station appealed to Wilson. So with that encouragement, in 2006 Sager received a Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Cost-Share Grant and began a $200,000 renovation of the site, including installation of new sewer lines, remediation of the gasoline tanks and lead-based paint, and replacement of the windows by National Park Service standards.
Sager choose to refit the site with the gray paint scheme Phillips used around 1950 instead of the '27 standard of dark green trimmed with orange and blue.
Avis opened its doors this month under independent contractor Teresa Lund. Wilson estimated the small lot can accommodate up to 22 cars.
"Our goal is to try and get stores to $1 million in revenue," said Wilson, who thought this one's close proximity to several large corporate businesses will provide a strong boost. "The uniqueness of the building is going to draw people in as well."
Avis also will seek to establish itself in the insurance replacement rental business.
"It's been Enterprise's bread and butter for a long time and we're trying to get into that as well," said Wilson.
Privately held Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co., which acquired Tulsa-based Vanguard Car Rental in August, is the largest car rental company in the world with estimated revenue of more than $9 billion. Avis Budget Group projects revenue of $6 billion this year.
This classic Phillips design is one of two that survives in the Tulsa area. There are only four nationwide. The other Tulsa station sits at 2224 E. Admiral Blvd.
Just down Elgin from the Avis site Sager owns another classic filling station structure, the Blue Dome building in that downtown Tulsa entertainment district. Built in 1924 as a Gulf Oil station, it now serves as the art office for University of Tulsa professor Mark Lewis.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=82183

quote:
Avis opens lot in historic gas station
September 27, 2007
TULSA – After more than a decade of decay, one of the nation's four remaining classic Phillips 66 gasoline stations has reopened for use as an Avis rental car lot.
Starting in 1927, Wade Phillips built a series of small brick stations patterned more off of homes than businesses, using a front chimney, pitched roof and gables to present a friendly service atmosphere.
This downtown Tulsa station at 602 S. Elgin Ave. went up around 1932 along the original U.S. Route 66, serving motorists for about 40 years, said Tulsa developer Michael Sager. The tiny Cotswold Cottage shop with well under 1,000 square feet under roof then went through a number of reincarnations, as muffler shops and other ancillary uses, until it finally fell into disuse.
In all that time, Sager said the building was never remodeled for other use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Last year, when driving around downtown Tulsa to find a possible lot, Avis discovered the little 11,000-square-foot lot Sager had acquired about five years ago.
"We wanted to be in downtown," said Jarrod Wilson, district manager Avis/Budget Group in Tulsa and northwest Arkansas. "We felt like our Avis brand would really fit in the downtown area."
The nostalgic qualities of the old Phillips 66 station appealed to Wilson. So with that encouragement, in 2006 Sager received a Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Cost-Share Grant and began a $200,000 renovation of the site, including installation of new sewer lines, remediation of the gasoline tanks and lead-based paint, and replacement of the windows by National Park Service standards.
Sager choose to refit the site with the gray paint scheme Phillips used around 1950 instead of the '27 standard of dark green trimmed with orange and blue.
Avis opened its doors this month under independent contractor Teresa Lund. Wilson estimated the small lot can accommodate up to 22 cars.
"Our goal is to try and get stores to $1 million in revenue," said Wilson, who thought this one's close proximity to several large corporate businesses will provide a strong boost. "The uniqueness of the building is going to draw people in as well."
Avis also will seek to establish itself in the insurance replacement rental business.
"It's been Enterprise's bread and butter for a long time and we're trying to get into that as well," said Wilson.
Privately held Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co., which acquired Tulsa-based Vanguard Car Rental in August, is the largest car rental company in the world with estimated revenue of more than $9 billion. Avis Budget Group projects revenue of $6 billion this year.
This classic Phillips design is one of two that survives in the Tulsa area. There are only four nationwide. The other Tulsa station sits at 2224 E. Admiral Blvd.
Just down Elgin from the Avis site Sager owns another classic filling station structure, the Blue Dome building in that downtown Tulsa entertainment district. Built in 1924 as a Gulf Oil station, it now serves as the art office for University of Tulsa professor Mark Lewis.

this is old news, but I drive by that every day and it looks good.  They just need to add a few finishing touches like some -small- signage and they'll be good.  It is a smart idea because a lot of business travelers usualy catch their respective hotel shuttle to downtown, but can now get dropped off there and get a car.  ive heard too many complaints from my vendors that they wish they had a car to get out of downtown at night.  well now they can.

[sauerkraut]

In West Tulsa they use-to have an real old gas station. I think it was a Sinclare station but not sure,- I dunno if it's still there or not. I believe it's right off of Southwest Blvd. They also use-to have a real old Motel made of yellow stucco, long ago, when I stayed there it was $10.00 a nite. It was on SouthWest Blvd and some overpass was just to the north of the Motel. The buildings were very old.[B)]

[waterboy]

I used to go over to that gas station when I was a student at Tulsa Central downtown. They didnt' allow soft drinks in the school at that time and I had a doctors permission slip to go over and buy a 16oz. Pepsi when I felt like it to increase my blood sugar as I tended to pass out in the afternoon (hypo-tensive?). Sweet deal. More likely that I passed out from the heat of the old un-airconditioned building!

Anyway, the article isn't quite accurate. Another one of those stations exists at 18th & Boston and is currently used as a beauty salon. She also painted it a drab color but I loved the old color scheme.

[cannon_fodder]

Awesome.  I'm always very happy to see REAL uses for historic buildings (ie. not government).  Especially when the owner seems interested in maintaining the character.

[PonderInc]

From the TPC website:
The National Park Service will present a Commemorative Historic Register Plaque to the Vickery Phillips 66 Service Station on Thursday, March 6, 2008. The presentation will be at 10:00am at the station located on "Route 66" at the corner of Sixth and Elgin. Michael Taylor, Director of the Route 66 Corridor Program for the National Park Service, will be the presenter.

The restoration of this historic landmark has taken place over the last year by Michael Sager with the assistance of a Route 66 Corridor Program Grant. The Vickery Station is now the home of Avis and serves downtown/midtown Tulsa with a new rental car location.

Read more about the history of this old gas station at: Vickery Phillips 66

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

From the TPC website:
The National Park Service will present a Commemorative Historic Register Plaque to the Vickery Phillips 66 Service Station on Thursday, March 6, 2008. The presentation will be at 10:00am at the station located on "Route 66" at the corner of Sixth and Elgin. Michael Taylor, Director of the Route 66 Corridor Program for the National Park Service, will be the presenter.

The restoration of this historic landmark has taken place over the last year by Michael Sager with the assistance of a Route 66 Corridor Program Grant. The Vickery Station is now the home of Avis and serves downtown/midtown Tulsa with a new rental car location.

Read more about the history of this old gas station at: Vickery Phillips 66

hey to celebrate I think we should pack some fireworks in the slum shacks across the street and set them off.

[EricP]

quote:Originally posted by inteller


hey to celebrate I think we should pack some fireworks in the slum shacks across the street and set them off.

+1

Is there any limit on how many tons of "fireworks?"

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by EricP

quote:Originally posted by inteller


hey to celebrate I think we should pack some fireworks in the slum shacks across the street and set them off.

+1

Is there any limit on how many tons of "fireworks?"

just whatever gets the job done.