Wicker Park Gas Station Closing in October: Then What?
Division Street in Wicker Park sometimes seems like a constant revolving door of businesses, but the Gomez Shell service station at 1950 W. Division St. has been there for 40 years. The gas station is slated to close its doors Oct. 30, according to Curbed Chicago. While it's not known yet what will become of the space, the high-profile location will likely not go long without a tenant.
Gaspar Gomez and his wife Esther Gomez will be closing their family-run gas station following a $16,000 increase in rent. Gomez was paying $9,000 per month but after trying to renegotiate the lease instead of jumping to $25,000 per month, he decided that it’s time to close.
At one point, Gomez owned four Shell stations in Wicker Park and West Town. The Division and Damen location was his last remaining station.
According to DNAinfo, the property is owned by Paul Utigard who, together with former Intelligentsia co-CEO Rob Buono, worked on transit-oriented developments like 1611 W. Division and the 260-unit apartment building near the California Blue Line Stop in Logan Square.
First Ward Alderman Joe Moreno said that whatever goes into the space will go through a rigorous review by the community. The chances of a retail and residential space are high.
Earlier this year DNAinfo reported on the city’s Plan Commission OK’d a plan to build a 99-room hotel at the site of the Shell gas station at North and Ashland Avenues in Wicker Park despite backlash from the community.