5. Imperial Oil Service Station (1932)

Designed in 1932 by Townley and Matheson (the architects who brought you City Hall), this Kits Beach landmark was built at a time when period revivals were all the rage. This service station design may be the last surviving example of its kind in Vancouver.

Listed as a ‘B’ on the Vancouver Heritage Register, the building’s neo-Spanish Colonial design, with arched windows and red-tiled roof, reflects a strong Californian influence still visible in some homes and storefronts.

In the late 1970s, Imperial Oil closed the station. The new owners addes a perpendicular wing abutting Cornwall Avenue to accommodate a 7-Eleven store, and the original building became a restaurant.

Over the years, various restaurants have occupied the entire building, the most recent being Malone’s Sports Bar, which now occupies only the 1970s wing. The original structure is vacant, and the current owner plans to demolish the entire site to throw up yet another mini mall.

We believe this would be tragic, as the layout of the existing building is well-suited to multiple tenants. With the aid of heritage incentives, the owners could achieve a win-win result: retention of a landmark building and a character development that would provide a superior return on investment.

Imperial Gas Station, 2210 Cornwall Avenue at Yew Street. Taken Sept 27, 1932 by Leonard Frank Studios. VPL 10946

Resources

City of Vancouver Building Permit no. 41677
2210 Cornwall Avenue
August 2, 1932
Owner: Imperial Oil Co. Ltd.
Architect: Townley & Matheson
Builder: Baynes & Horie
Value: $8,000
Service Station

Updates

Updated 2015: Tenants are currently LOCAL Public Eatery.

Updated October 27, 2006: Having been vacant for several years, the south wing interior is now under renovations for a new retail tenant – a beachwear store. This means that the building is fully tenanted and is now unlikely to be in any danger, we hope.