Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
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The New Pennzoil station at 18th Street and Rosser Avenue is celebrating its grand opening today.
The Pennzoil 10-minute Oil Change at 18th Street and Rosser Avenue doesn’t just have a retro look, but also a commitment to history.
During construction of the facility, which has grand opening celebrations today, a historic rock wall protected as a historic structure was also saved.
"The roots from a hedge were starting to rip apart the foundation and it was starting to become an eyesore," Mayor Shari Decter Hirst said of the rock wall. "Now suddenly we have a piece of Brandon history and it’s once again on display."
Decter Hirst also credited LUBE1 INC owner Dan Precourt for wanting to preserve a historic gem in the downtown core.
"I think it’s fitting because we wanted the building to fit the property," Precourt said. "We want to give people a 1950s kind of service that people don’t see too often anymore."
It took great care when water and sewer lines had to be dug underneath the rock wall. The landscaping work to remove hedges that had root structures underneath the foundation of the wall also had to be done with caution.
"It was hard to find someone that wanted to do the work because they were afraid they may damage the wall, but we found someone and they were very careful," Precourt said. "I have to be honest, we didn’t have a choice in the matter but to save it."
Decter Hirst added that even with a requirement to preserve the wall, it took a solid private sector business partner with a shared vision to make that happen.
"It coloured the entire project that it recognized that this was a physical asset," Decter Hirst said,
"Dan met with all of the property owners and residents nearby to let them know what was happening and that this wasn’t a building that was going to drop from the sky."
The landscaping work has yet to be completed, but once the grass and foliage are planted, the wall will be showcased as a historic structure once again.
The new building features three oil change bays and a new car wash that uses newer technology so that a basic car wash only takes 90 seconds. A premium car wash can take 4 1/2 minutes.
» kborkowsky@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition June 16, 2012
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The Pennzoil 10-minute Oil Change at 18th Street and Rosser Avenue doesn’t just have a retro look, but also a commitment to history.
During construction of the facility, which has grand opening celebrations today, a historic rock wall protected as a historic structure was also saved.
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The Pennzoil 10-minute Oil Change at 18th Street and Rosser Avenue doesn’t just have a retro look, but also a commitment to history.
During construction of the facility, which has grand opening celebrations today, a historic rock wall protected as a historic structure was also saved.
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