Orbit Obit

Two months ago I posted about the Jetsons-like Orbit gas stations that one used to see all over the Sacramento region. Most have since been demolished, a few converted to other uses, and one still operates as a gas station.

The other day loyal reader Chris P. sent this photo of a long-abandoned Orbit gas station in Incline Village, Nevada.

The pine trees, the shake roof, and the stone facade are all reflective of what you’d expect in the Lake Tahoe area. But the bones of this building are unmistakably Orbit. According to Chris, the building has been vacant for decades.

It appears to be in remarkably good shape for its age, so surely there must be local efforts to reopen or repurpose it? Alas, apparently not everyone is as enamored with the place as I am, for in 2008 (that is, 17 years ago) the local Community Development Committee held a “Nuisance Workshop.” The Tahoe Daily Tribune described it thus:

The workshop served as a forum where residents could identify the nuisances particular to the Incline Village/Crystal Bay area. Residents were separated into tables of 10 and asked to address a set of 10 nuisances one at a time.

The paper went on to report that one especially grievous nuisance identified by the 120 residents in attendance was the Orbit gas station:

On the other hand, I found a number of comments on local message boards where residents expressed admiration for the quirky old structure, with comments like “I would live there!,” “Bring back the crazy roofs!,” and “Can I buy this?” Other commenters suggested that it be converted to an EV charging station, a visitors center, or maybe a convenience store.

So the future for this building remains uncertain. Get out there and check it out while you still can!