This article was updated at 7:50 a.m. October 18.
A Sherman Oaks gas station famous for being the last place actor James Dean ever pumped gasoline is now gone, and in its place, a fancy grocery store is slated open, according to plans filed Thursday with the city.
On September 30, 1955, James Dean stopped at the Casa de Petrol on Ventura Boulevard at Beverly Glen to fill up his tank before setting out on a long drive up the coast. (The gas station was across from the Casa de Cadillac; the corner was once host to quite a few Casa-titled businesses and was called Casa Corner because of it, reported LA Observed.) Later that day, Dean was killed when a car hit his Porsche Spyder. He was 24-years-old.
LA Observed says the gas station changed uses over the years, but in some ways was still the same:
The gas station where James Dean fueled up for his final ride became a flower shop in the 1980's. But they kept the original building intact. The service bays, filling pump islands, classic awning — all still there.
The station was demolished last month.
The new plans reveal that the large corner lot and a handful of adjoining parcels will become a specialty grocery store up to 32 feet tall, with all the trappings of a high-end market.
The filing shows that developers 14311 Ventura Development, LLC, is seeking permits to sell alcohol, as most grocery stores do, but is also applying for a permit to sell booze on-site in a restaurant on the premises. Curbed has reached out to representatives for the developer for information on which grocery store brand will be residing in the new location.
*Correction*: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the date of Dean's demise and the vehicle responsible for it. Dean died September 30 in a collision with a Ford Tudor.
- ENV-2016-3925-EAF [DCP]
- James Dean died 61 years ago today. Now the famous gas station is gone [LA Observed]
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