Comments on: A gas station used to be there

By: Sandee Allen

Sandee Allen — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 02:42:03 +0000

This message is to Owen O’Neill, we are searching for missing information in our family tree and are very interested in seeing this watercolor painting of the Ostrom Pharmacy building. Please contact me at rainlock@hotmail.com. Thanks!

By: Walkable Eastwood » Blog Archive » Towns can have standards

Walkable Eastwood » Blog Archive » Towns can have standards — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:48:52 +0000

[...] an example, sent in by commenter Matt, even a suburban-style gas station must conform to local standards. Notice where the pumps [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:41:51 +0000

The village of Rhinebeck has a great history of promoting (indeed, forcing) smart growth; among other chains, Mobil acquiesced and built a gas station with all the pumps hidden behind a terrific stone building on the street. Not sure how to post a photo of it.

Just because Sunoco doesn’t want to hide the pumps and signage and build out to the sidewalk doesn’t mean it cannot be done. Sounds like a potentially bad neighbor to me. Good to tell them thanks but no thanks. No development is better than bad development.

By: Mary K. Sullivan Greenlee

Mary K. Sullivan Greenlee — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:54:18 +0000

I love this idea! It is the best of both worlds. If this building were to go up on the
corner of James and Midler, I would personally do everything I could to put a bakery in
it!

By: Owen O'Neill

Owen O'Neill — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:51:36 +0000

The second design is not only palatable – it makes good sense. The fact that there is no other gas station at that corner dictates that people would quickly become aware of its presence behind the corner building and the daily customer counts for the Sunoco convenience store would not suffer one bit (and aren’t the sales in the store what these modern gas stations are really all about?). I don’t know if the drawing includes enough parking spaces to meet code but I really, really like the idea.

There are neighborhoods that really don’t need a gas station or do not need another one. back in the late 1960′s the Westcott Street business district had a gas station/service station at the corner of Dell Street (Mr. Epstein’s – I think it was a Mobil). Don’t ya know… Atlantic Richfield felt obligated to build and open a brand new Arco station in the middle of the block (tore down a decent old building to do it). The Arco station lasted all of three or four years before both it and the Mobil closed their doors as the gas retail business migrated to big bust corners like Erie Blvd. 7 Teall Ave. As reworks go I’ve seen much worse than the Dorian’s Pizza that now occupies the old Arco station but we didn’t need to lose a building from that neighborhood in the first place.

Don’t get me started about the city of Syracuse tearing down the Ostrom Pharmacy building at the corner of South Beech and Westcott in order to make left turns onto Westcott from Beech easier to negotiate. If you saw that classic old structure in its day and thought it would be torn down for “progress” you’d just cry. Can’t find photos of it anywhere online but my mom has a watercolor painting of that building and corner.

By: Shane L.

Shane L. — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:55:37 +0000

I hate the thought of *another* gas station going in, but find the second design somewhat palatable. A building that attracts and retains locally owned businesses — not chains — is a heck of a lot better than a decrepit old building with no business.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:31:38 +0000

Regarding design … Is there an existing gas station/convenience store in Syracuse that could serve as a design to emulate for this site?

Regarding uses … A bakery would be wonderful. Shoe repair would be nice. A grocery store could fill the void that will be created with the departure of P&C. Other possibilities are bicycle sales and repair; a police storefront; and a shoe store (for WALKABLE Eastwood!).

Pitch In.