An eyesore on Classen is set to disappear

Over the past few months the former Phillips 66 station at NW 17 and Classen has fallen into disrepair, overgrown with weeds and the closed business attracting some trash along the way.

It's an unfortunate development with the successful renovation of Homeland next door. But this story has a next chapter with Rick Dowell, who bought the service station last year, recently filing for a demolition permit to clear the block.

Dowell, who owns the nearby former headquarters of American Fidelity, said he bought the service station with the goal of improving the corridor's appearance. He has already removed the billboard from the block, and the next step is to build an office building.

The following is a conceptual rendering:

This block does have some history. Its use as a gas station dates back almost 100 years when it was home to a Marland station, which later become Conoco, which was later merged into Phillips 66.