Former Higgley's Restaurant to be demolished for expanded gas staion

The existing BP gas station and former Higgley's Restaurant will be demolished to make room for a much bigger gas station, the Arlington Heights village board was told on Monday.

The board unanimously approved plans for a new BP gas station with seven fueling islands, a 2,900-square-foot convenience store and car wash. The convenience store will be open 24-hours a day, seven-days-a-week while the car wash will be open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, according to a village staff report.

The old gas station and Higgley's restaurant next-door both closed in 2006 leaving closed fuel pumps and an empty restaurant building at the northwest corner of Arlington Heights Road and Arlington Heights roads.

"That's a gateway to our village and the sooner you can get going the better," said Arlington Heights Village President Arlene Mulder about the new gas station project.

Once built, the refueling stations will be along the east property line, the all-brick convenience mart along the west property line and the car wash along the north property line. The convenience store will not sell liquor.

The project should be complete by the end of 2009, said Walter Hainsfurther, president of Kurtz Associates in Des Plaines, the architect in charge of the project.