There’s a new sign on the old Citgo gas station on Porter Avenue, near the entrance to the Peace Bridge, that states that a new Mobil station is on the way. Since I was little this gas station has always been an eyesore in the historic neighborhood. In recent years the condition of the station has gotten progressively worse – nothing has been updated or fixed in ages.
With Mobil moving in, there is an opportunity to fix up this station. I would think that all of the pumps will be upgraded and will no longer look so ragtag. But there is much work to be done, and Mobil has the ability, and the responsibility as a new owner, to make the station look and feel welcoming. After all, look at the close proximity to the waterfront and the Olmsted Park System. This is a centrally located station that people visit as they enter and exit the country.
Much like the vacant-looking Duty Free storage buildings (for example) on Porter Avenue, this section of the city has been dumped on for far too long. Now that The City is putting money into new infrastructure, including bike lanes, curbs, etc., businesses such as Citgo Mobil and Duty Free should step up their games. Why does Duty Free need to keep its products in a building that looks vacant, with cheap fencing and broken surface lots? I’m willing to give Mobil a chance to see what it has planned for the neighborhood, but Duty Free continues to operate out of a blank shell that brings down the rest of the street. I’m sure that there are plenty of developers out there that would love to build so close to Canada and the waterfront.