Chevron puts 5 more Vancouver gas stations up for sale

Gas stations for sale on prime real estate Finding a place to fill your gas tank is about to get harder, with Chevron listing six of its Vancouver stations for sale.

Five more Vancouver gas stations have been listed for sale as Chevron looks to cash in on the city's sky-high property values.

That's on top of three stations the U.S.-based energy company listed last year, including its West Georgia Street location, which is among the last two gas stations remaining in the downtown core.

Chevron spokesman Adrien Byrne said he empathizes with residents concerned about convenient access to gas, but noted the company will still have 19 other locations across the city.

"There's intense demand for housing in the city, and with that in mind it makes sense that we market these properties in some of the most valuable parts of the city," Byrne added.

"That's really the primary driver behind this decision."

Together, the properties represent roughly one-tenth of the gas stations left in Vancouver.

Tsur Somerville of the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business said it's no surprise that stations are disappearing, given the low profit margins for selling gas.

The five Chevron stations recently listed for sale are spread across Vancouver's west side. 

The same trends are seen in other high-value areas and neighbourhoods.

"When you're in Manhattan, there are not a lot of gas stations, and you have to plan around that," Somerville said, adding that Vancouverites should not expect a resurgence any time soon.

"It's unlikely that we're getting more."

There are about 65 gas stations in Vancouver. Other expensive cities, including North Vancouver and Richmond, are also losing stations, though there has been a 10 per cent increase in Surrey over the past decade.

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Shannon Paterson