A VACANT lot in the same block as a busy shopping complex on the main street is unheard of in Orange but the closure of the Caltex Service Station on the corner of Summer and Hill Streets means there will be one available in the future.
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Whether that's the near future is another matter according to commercial real estate agent Gary Blowes.
According to a statement from Ampol, the company which is now transitioning from the Caltex brand which it used under licence, the Summer Street fuel station will be demolished.
"Remediation works will commence later in the year to prepare the land for sale," the statement said.
Mr Blowes said when it remediated, the site would be worth 'serious money'.
But he added in his experience, the remediation might take years.
"They've got to present a clean site, it's got to be given a clean bill of health and that could take years," he said.
But he said the wait would be worth it with the site offering not only plenty of space but a double egress onto Summer Street, or the highway and another on to Hill Street, making it attractive to a fast food franchise.
It's vicinity to the revamped 'The Village' shopping centre and developer BMPS 88's proposed accommodation and food and beverage project on the eastern end of the block also adds to its value.
Ampol closed the service station, which was one of three between Sale and Hill Streets, on July 4.
"We would like to thank the community in Orange for their support over the past several years. Local customers can visit Woolworths Caltex Orange on Summer Street or Woolworths Caltex Orange North on Hanrahan Place for all their fuel and convenience needs," the statement said.
A spokesperson also said the Byng site along the railway was also being 'divested'.
"The Ampol-owned site on Byng Street is currently being remediated, with works expected to complete by the end of the year."
It's expected it will also be offered for sale once given a clean bill of health.
The closure of the Caltex service station on the Hill Street roundabout comes not long after the revamped bp was recently opened.
The Summer Street bp service station closed last year for the renovations with a spokesperson saying the company had chosen to invest in the site in Orange due its future growth potential.
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Kate Bowyer
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
