Barrie’s Allandale area is now short one gas station.
The Petro-Canada facility at 170 Burton Ave. has closed, not that long after it opened in 2021 with four gas pumps, a touchless car wash and a Neighbours convenience store.
It now has large blocks of concrete blocking vehicle entrances at Burton Avenue and Robinson Street.
At least one area resident, Walter Lohaza, is concerned about the closure.
“Abandoned buildings tend to attract vandals and arsonists,” he said. “I fear that this site may become a blight in my neighbourhood.
“One option would be to fence it,” Lohaza said. “Maybe if the city or their (the gas bar owner’s) insurance company or somebody else like that kind of pushed for it, they might have to do it.”
He also mentioned having security cameras, or a security company, look after the property.
There were two waste bins near the front doors Thursday morning. The sign out front which reads ‘All winter long, touchless ultimate car wash for only $6.99’ was still there.
Suncor Energy, which owns Petro-Canada, could shed little light on the situation.
“This is an independently owned station and so I do not have any information,” said Leithan Slade, corporate communications senior advisor with Suncor.
Lohaza noted the cement blocks at the entrances/exits would keep emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks, off the property.
“I’m just wondering if putting those blocks there was creating a new safety problem,” he said.
Lohaza said he has called the city with his safety concerns.
The gas station, at the corner of Robinson Street and Burton Avenue, sits on 0.75 acres and right behind it is a development of 100 freehold town homes.
Someone can become an independent owner of a Petro‑Canada gas station by owning an existing gas bar that can be changed into a Petro‑Canada station, owning vacant property and building a new gas station there or buying a Petro‑Canada gas station that’s for sale by an independent owner.
Suncor says the initial investment in a Petro-Canada gas station ranges from $1.5 million to $6 million-plus.
The investment varies based on land value, lot size and services offered, such as a convenience store, quick service restaurant, carwash, etc.
The Burton Avenue gas station had a convenience store of 1,550 square feet and another 1,000 sq. ft. of space for a food partner, such as a pizza joint.
