One of Coachella Valley’s first gas stations to be demolished
UPDATE: 6:22 p.m.
Ever since he was a teenager, David Hamm has had his hands on a car, spending most of his adult life calling the Palm Desert 76 home. The gas station and repair shop has been a well-known, historic Palm Desert go-to for anything auto for more than 60 years. “This is the second building on this property,” Hamm said. “The original one was 1951. This one was erected in 1969. I’ve been here for 36 years. I’ve worked for the original owner, the second owner, and now i’m the third owner.” Hamm said he and fellow workers have spent countless hours at the shop located at San Luis Rey and Highway 111 servicing all kinds of cars and customers alike. Longtime customer and local golf shop owner Pete Carlson said location and quality of service have been the keys to Hamm’s success throughout the years. “It’s centrally located and we’re all hands-on people,” Carlson said. “We wait on the customers. we help the customers. It’s service-oriented.” But after years of success, Hamm decided to make a change. “The business model of fuel has changed drastically,” Hamm said. “I’m a single business owner, and it’s time to sell this facility, [and] allow someone to come in and erect a brand new beautiful gas station here.” But Hamm and Carlson said the shop will continue to drive home care to customers, hoping to keep their motor running, and rack up more miles and memories. “We can sell what a lot of other places don’t sell, and that’s service,” Hamm said. “And we’ve done very well with that. Just doing it right, and doing it honestly. That’s my motto.” Hamm said crews plan to start tearing down the building next Monday. He said his company will be moving to a new location on 42nd near Cook Street, and should be operating at full speed by the beginning of next week.
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ORIGINAL STORY: 3:52 p.m.
One of the Coachella Valley’s first gas stations will soon be demolished as the owner gets set to open up shop in a new location.
Known for many years as the Palm Desert 76 — the gas station has been in operations since the early 1950s. It’s located on the corner of Highway 111 and San Luis Rey — but all of the history tied to that specific location will be rewritten come Monday morning.
Zak Dahlheimer spoke to the gas station’s owner of 10 years on Friday afternoon to learn more about the big changes coming to the Palm Desert 76. He’ll have the details behind the new location, and discusses what may be replacing the gas station that’s been in the same place for about 66 years.
Watch the full report on KESQ News Channel 3 at 6 p.m. and CBS Local 2 at 6:30 p.m.
