Website Updates: Bus Stations, Beverage Plants, Drive-ins & Tire Stores

Nothing to report from the Fairy Tale & Santa Parks section.

So, let’s start with some good news from the Bus Stations section. The former Greyhound bus station in Olympia, WA has been renovated and adapted as the Bus Stop Bar & Bistro. Wonderful good news after being on the endangered list for many years. My 2015 photo:

And the renovated building which opened late last year — from their FB page:

From the Bottling Plants buildings section… I didn’t get a chance to shoot this 1961 building yet in Durham, NC… and GSV shows that it was demolished earlier this year in order to build housing. There are plans to integrate “pieces” of the building into the new development. We’ve heard that before! Usually, some awful tribute and not even the original “pieces”:

Moving on to Drive-in Theatres section. The Starlite Drive-in in El Monte, CA has been bulldozed for housing. But, as promised, they are “preserving” the sign. It must be a replica since the current sign was a complete wreck. Here’s a photo I took in 2013:

And it only got worse after that. Here’s GSV from last May:

Both sides of the original sign from 1950. Note the long-missing “Drive In” letters and stars in the background:

Now at the November GSV: this is the side that’s nearly done (other side still missing star and letters). Apparently, the stars in the background will also be replicated!

The Van Del Drive-in screentower in Middle Point, OH…:

… has been repainted to match its sign:

From the Tires Stores section… This Goodyear store in Pontiac, MI moved to another location and this sign is gone now:

Another of these now rare giant Goodyear signs — this one in Columbus, OH…:

was adapted earlier this year:

Earlier this year, the Firestone letters on this building in Spokane Valley, WA…

… had been replaced with plastic versions and that part of the building had been painted black (why?!? but it seems to be a trend as I have seen other Firestones that have done this). The pole sign still has neon: