DENVER — After 84 years of pumping gas and cleaning windshields, the family-owned Bonnie Brae Conoco in Denver is officially up for sale.
Located at the corner of University and Exposition, the station has been a staple in the neighborhood for generations. Owner Ken Wilson believes it could be the only remaining full-service, family-owned gas station in the city.
"Some people wouldn’t know what to do if we stopped doing this," Wilson said.
Wilson started working at the station when he was 12 years old. His family has owned the business through the decades, keeping photos from the 1940s through the 1970s.
"So many memories. I love coming to work. When I come here I feel like my dad never left," Wilson said.
Wilson noted that his father died 14 years ago.
► Watch Mike Castellucci's report in the player below:
The station was previously known for a sign that read "not for sale." Now, the sign has changed to indicate the property is on the market.
"We’re just looking to the future. It’s a great property. It’s been good to us. We love the neighborhood. I love coming to work. So it’s not like I’m dying to sell this. We think it’s a very valuable property," Wilson said.
Today, employee Claude Espinoza is changing out winter tires for summer tires.
"I get it. Only so long you can run a family business," Espinoza said.
Customers like Ali Halberson, who spent $100 to fill her car, are feeling the impact of changing times.
"I was really empty," Halberson said.
While Halberson thinks current gas prices are "terrible," customers in the neighborhood do not want to pay the price of watching the Wilson family's station disappear. Other gas stations that used to operate across the street and next door are long gone, leaving the Bonnie Brae Conoco as a final remnant of a bygone era.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
