CITGO spruces up four Eight Mile service stations

Four gas stations along Eight Mile Road have received major upgrades, thanks to a new partnership between the CITGO Petroluem Company, local fuel suppliers on Eight Mile Road, and the Eight Mile Boulevard Association (8MBA).

"Our initial outreach to CITGO was in regards to their corporate appearance standards," says 8MBA Executive Director Tami Salisbury. "A lot of their locations on Eight Mile didn't have landscaping, and we wanted to see if they wanted to take advantage of our facade improvement program. And CITGO really stepped it up."

Representatives from CITGO's corporate office flew from Texas to meet with 8MBA, and pledged major improvements at all four of their service stations, at an average cost of $30,000 for each location. The improvements range from new pumps and canopies for motorists to improved lighting and landscaping, upgraded signage and changes to convenience centers. Local facility owners have pledged to keep appearances to a higher standard after the upgrades are complete.

Salisbury says it's just the beginning of the nonprofit's new relationship with CITGO, which has become a sponsor of other events put on by 8MBA. "We hope that we have as warm of reception with some of the other major brands on Eight Mile Road," she says.

And she says the upgrades to Eight Mile's facades provide more than just a face-lift to the corridor. "When we change the physical appearance of Eight Mile Road, we're changing the mental landscape," she says. "Eight Mile has this notorious reputation, and we're trying to break down this negative imagery. Over 100,000 cars traverse Eight Mile Road every day."

Source: Tamil Salisbury, Executive Director, Eight Mile Boulevard Association
Writer: Ashley C. Woods