EVERETT – Downtown Everett’s most prominent empty lot is going back to the future.
It may again host a Chevron service station 15 years after the previous one was torn down.
Bob Eaton of Lake Stevens has applied for a permit to build a four-pump gas station, 1,900-square-foot convenience store and car wash at the northwest corner of Everett Avenue and Broadway.
The city of Everett is taking public comments now on the proposed development. If the planning and construction proceed on schedule, the new business would open in June.
“They’re ready to go once we get through the environmental review process,” said Faheem Siddiq, a city planner.
Eaton said he’s had his eye on the corner lot for some time, and ChevronTexaco Corp., which put the property on the market last summer, was happy to have one of its dealers buy it.
An Everett Silvertips season ticket holder, Eaton said he’s encouraged by the budding revival of the downtown area.
“The excitement of Everett, the revitalization – we want to be part of that,” he said.
The Eatons, including Bob’s father, Donald, and brother, Terry, are longtime Chevron dealers, dating back four decades. They also own and operate stations in Lake Stevens and Monroe.
Bob Eaton can remember when the corner of Everett and Broadway was home to first a Standard Oil station, then a Chevron station, which closed in 1990.
That year, ChevronTexaco Corp. took over ownership of the nearly half-acre lot, demolished the station, removed the underground tanks and cleaned up the ground. The state Department of Ecology later declared the property free of contamination.
Since then, ChevronTexaco has hung on to the property, spurning offers from McDonald’s, which built a restaurant next door, and other potential buyers.
Over the years, the fence surrounding the vacant lot has become a favorite place for politicians to hang campaign signs. It’s also been a breeding ground for weeds and trash.
“Over the years, that site has been very attractive to litter and other nuisances,” said Kate Reardon, spokeswoman for the city of Everett. “Any time you can take a chain-link fence down and develop an empty property, that’s a good thing.”
Eaton declined to disclose the purchase price. The assessed value of the lot is $324,000, according to Snohomish County property records, although the initial asking price exceeded $840,000.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
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