ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — When a BP gas station exploded in St. Augustine in the hot summer of 2011, the fire and the smoke could be seen from miles away.
Neighborhoods were ordered to evacuate immediately.
Now on the corner of State Road 16 and Masters Drive, a brand new Circle K gas station and convenience store are expected to open in the spring.
After the smoke cleared, law suits were filed
Circle K bought the property that sat vacant for years from Coomes Oil, a local fuel company.
David Lee, president of North Coast Construction, the company building the new gas station, told First Coast News that monitoring wells were placed on the property after the explosion to keep track of any spills or leaks from the damaged equipment and tanks. He said motoring devices are still on site.
Lee said all the damaged equipment was all removed and everything on site now is new.
And while the site looks brand new, the memories of what happened on that corner 11 years ago still linger for many locals.