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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Gas station, convenience store to fill Aces Casino site

A gas station will be built on the northwest corner at Division Street and Francis Avenue, which is occupied by a Richfield service station, seen on the left. The original caption for this 1955 photo described this stretch of Division as the “Road to Remembrances” and pointed out the Chinese elm trees flanking the road in the distance. “It’s hard to imagine how any motorist can drive in or out of Spokane by way of north Division without being conscious of a pressing emptiness, which must be unique in the American scheme of things. The emptiness is caused by lack of outdoor advertising signboards,” the caption read.
By Nicholas Deshais nickd@spokesman.com(509) 459-5440
A gas station will be built on the northwest corner at Division Street and Francis Avenue, which is occupied by a Richfield service station, seen on the left. The original caption for this 1955 photo described this stretch of Division as the “Road to Remembrances” and pointed out the Chinese elm trees flanking the road in the distance. “It’s hard to imagine how any motorist can drive in or out of Spokane by way of north Division without being conscious of a pressing emptiness, which must be unique in the American scheme of things. The emptiness is caused by lack of outdoor advertising signboards,” the caption read.

The former Aces Casino building on Division Street and Francis Avenue in north Spokane has been demolished to make way for a Circle K gas station, car wash and convenience store, according to permits filed with the city.

When complete, the site will have 10 fuel pumps and 22 parking spaces. The store will be nearly 5,000 square feet.

The property has changed hands multiple times in the past two decades but was most recently purchased by Robert and Norma Jean Baker in November 2018 for $400,000 through their company Bluebird Investments LLC.

The casino had occupied the prominent barnlike building since 2005. The building was constructed in 1974 as a Country Cousins restaurant.

The site has been a gas station before. Historic photographs archived at the Museum of Arts and Culture show the intersection in 1949, when Francis was gravel. The B and J Service Station, which occupied a two-story houselike building, stood where Circle K is going in on the intersection’s northwest corner. A handwritten sign said “Fish Worms.” Another gas station – Mobilgas – stood on the southwest corner.

In 1955, as Division became more developed, the gas station remained but was then a Richfield. By 1967, the northwest corner had a Burgerhaus Carry Out restaurant, which served burgers and milkshakes.