JSPAN VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Petro Stop Gas Station Goes Down--But The Sign Is Rescued!

Video by John Hoff and Megan Goodmundson, blog post by John Hoff

It put up a good fight and stayed around a long time, but today the little Petro Stop gas station at 2601 West Broadway bit the dust...well, actually it bit the snow, but you know what I mean. The gas station awning endures for the moment, as well as a pile of rubble being picked through by salvagers like it was the end of Western Civilization and malleable metal was needed to support the Dark Ages.

Not everything was lost, however. Some things were preserved. I personally convinced the demolition boss to save the...

...large plastic Petro Stop sign and let me have it. The metal salvagers were paid five bucks to help us haul off the sign in their pickup, since it was too big for our vehicle.

We're not sure exactly what will happen with the sign but we want to make sure it gets a good home, somebody who cares about history even if it's just the history of GAS STATIONS. The sign is six feet by six feet, so it's quite large.

I also personally obtained a brick to present to City Councilman Don Samuels, who has done so much to promote the revitalization of West Broadway. Though demolition of the gas station appears like progress, residents continue to be concerned. Any apartment building is going to seem new and nice at first, the question is whether things will stay nice or rapidly go downhill once no-accounts start to congregate out front. We are hopeful, but we are also watchful.