ok you ballers.desert center is for sale

[boatpi]

I will guarantee you this, there is NO other restroom that saw more road piss than that Texaco. And never a flush as water is $$.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

I will guarantee you this, there is NO other restroom that saw more road piss than that Texaco. And never a flush as water is $$.

Yup, the ladies always loved going in that bathroom.

 

[Havaduner]

You could always build a hotel for the people that come out for the weekend activities at Chuckwalla Raceway with a decent restaurant and bar.

A taco truck would clean up on Fridays and Sunday afternoons.

The hotel was supposed to happen a couple years ago. (there's a fenced area between the gas station and the tow yard where it was supposed to go) That fizzled, and I understand the racetrack put in cabins for weekend racers to rent.

 

[CoolCruzin]

Need more money and a dream and that place would be perfect to build a stopping spot .

 

[Riverfamlee]

Used to always be a pit stop on the way to Parker. This was 2007 ish and the cafe was still open. Once that closed we just roll on thru

Don’t recall the gas station being open. Not sure when it shut down

 

[lbhsbz]

View attachment 802076 Used to always be a pit stop on the way to Parker. This was 2007 ish and the cafe was still open. Once that closed we just roll on thru

Don’t recall the gas station being open. Not sure when it shut down

I towed my first boat...71 Hondo out there in 2001 after not having gone to the river in 5 years and remember 2 things:

1: the gas station was closed at that point

2: I’d forgotten about that dip...damn near put the boat on the trailer fender.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Financing secured! I’m building 1000 acres of Rack Storage.

 

[wzuber]

No shit? I would think that is the last place someone would rob..

really? easy getaway with the 10/177 right there plus all the open desert. Cops are typically light years away for response to their call, With the restrictive cali laws as they are they were sitting ducks. Total sucks but I can see it was an easy grab based on that.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Honestly I wonder how some housing would do.. if you worked a deal with the track. Chuckwalla Valley road course is 5 mins away. Would appeal to some gear heads as a crash pad/ car/motorcycle storage for sure.

 

[RVR SWPR]

I will guarantee you this, there is NO other restroom that saw more road piss than that Texaco. And never a flush as water is $$.

The Classic Snow Cone in the Urinal.

 

[Riverbottom]

Honestly I wonder how some housing would do.. if you worked a deal with the track. Chuckwalla Valley road course is 5 mins away. Would appeal to some gear heads as a crash pad/ car/motorcycle storage for sure.

Probably pretty good. As far as I know all of the houses at Lake Tamarisk are occupied. Employees at the prisons twenty miles to the east rent or own places there. Most of their families live to the west in Riverside etc. They sleep in Desert Center, work a couple of double shifts and race back home from there. Small crash pads for correctional officers would do well.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Number of years ago had a boat trailer tire blow out headed to the lake between Chirriaco and Desert Center. Pulled over, placed best tires on the rear axel, sucked up the front axel with a ratchet strap. Continued on to Desert Center. That gas station was still in business. He sold me a good used tire, balanced and mounted for $30. I paid, then tipped him another $50 and we were on our way. Good people. But, even then that friggin' bathroom sucked.

 

[Rondog4405]

There are some nice old antique vehicles in that building with the train car.. Id love to get in there and take a look around.. Antiques galore!

 

[Wheeler]

Number of years ago had a boat trailer tire blow out headed to the lake between Chirriaco and Desert Center. Pulled over, placed best tires on the rear axel, sucked up the front axel with a ratchet strap. Continued on to Desert Center. That gas station was still in business. He sold me a good used tire, balanced and mounted for $30. I paid, then tipped him another $50 and we were on our way. Good people. But, even then that friggin' bathroom sucked.

First time I was in that bathroom was '61 or so. It was a mess then.

 

[Wheeler]

Honestly I wonder how some housing would do.. if you worked a deal with the track. Chuckwalla Valley road course is 5 mins away. Would appeal to some gear heads as a crash pad/ car/motorcycle storage for sure.

While having breakfast with Allen Grant a several years ago he was making plans for buildings and housing on the property. Not sure if he's still working on it or completed the project.

In case you are not familiar with the name.

 

[2Driver]

offer 5 million...
That's 5K an acre...

5 million on a 12 year loan at 5% is a 46K a month payment.... You only have to generate 1500

I doubt anyone in their right mind would lend on that past 40% LTV and it would 9-13% interest.

 

[Albert]

Hookers and blow 1,000 acres of it

 

[CJ_Donahue]

The one inside the building? I just want to get in there and look around looks like some cool old stuff.

It has been sitting outside since I was a kid. Always thought it would be the perfect back yard man cave. Set it up like a speak easy or cigar loung with an oversized dark leather chair or two, a nice TV, and a small poker table. It would be $$$$ but worth it.

 

[mjc]

View attachment 802279 It has been sitting outside since I was a kid. Always thought it would be the perfect back yard man cave. Set it up like a speak easy or cigar loung with an oversized dark leather chair or two, a nice TV, and a small poker table. It would be $$$$ but worth it.

There is a train engine left over from a movie inside the building just down from corner.

 

[Classic Daycruiser]

1000 acres is a nice size playground.

10 acres would go into a boat/RV storage facility.

 

[LHC Kirby]

1000 acres is a nice size playground.

10 acres would go into a boat/RV storage facility.

With rack storage?

 

[Classic Daycruiser]

With rack storage?

With condo apartment.

 

[pixrthis]

Your fence would look like the walking dead with meth zombies

My wife is on a movie that’s shooting there in a couple weeks. Construction has been there for three months a already.

 

[pixrthis]

My first trip to the river we didnt gas up in Indio, had no idea I was screwed. Paid almost $6 a gallon if I remember correctly, and that was 20 years ago. I remember bitching about the price per gallon to the guy that worked there and he said, fine, dont buy any, but it is a long walk to Parker or Indio.

I gassed up there years ago the pump said I put in 38 gallons, I looked at the owners manual and the car only had a 24 gallon tank. The guy said “how much do you think it took and I’ll charge you for that”. I think he was scamming anybody not paying attention.

 

[LGETT]

I miss the super clean bathrooms that used to be at the gas station.

I am thinking a dental office wont work out there.

 

[LGETT]

Childhood memories of passing through there and stopping to take a piss. Does anyone remember the place selling Ferits just past Desert Center.

 

[rivermobster]

First time I was in that bathroom was '61 or so. It was a mess then.

73 for me. Damm you're old!

 

[DB / HAV]

First time I was in that bathroom was '61 or so. It was a mess then.

My mother gave birth to me in that restroom...1960

 

[4Waters]

My mother gave birth to me in that restroom...1960

Explains a lot. LOL

 

[brgrcru]

75 ish parents lost a fan belt on there 73 ford bubble top van . Pulling the boat. Must of been 110*plus
My dad hitched a ride to the gas station, 1 hour later , we were up and running . That was 44 years ago
I was 10 years old and still remeber that like yesterday .

For years we would shoot up rice road. To parker or black meadows.

 

[rcmike]

That fizzled, and I understand the racetrack put in cabins for weekend racers to rent.

About 1/2 of the cabin's blew away in a "tornado" out there... We were supposed to. be going to an event and a bunch of my friends were scrambling. I ended up staying in the casino in Indio..

 

[Havalife]

Desert Center is the area for sale not the Lake, race track, or mine. From what I know about 1 sq mile is 640 acres so if you figure almost 2 miles around Desert center you have a lot of nothing but memories. If the check point and housing is paying a lease that could be a good thing.
I think if no income from state and only the structures that should be condemned I would have to give a bid of $750,000.

 

[thetub]

you gotta keep in mind clean up costs as its an old gas station.

old gas tanks are a pain in the ass to dispose of and clean up and costs alot of money...

they might not let you build there until all its clear and ok is given...

that could take years

 

[chvynhra]

https://i15auctions.proxibid.com/Gr...rt-Center-Estate-Auction/event-catalog/168495

Check it out, you can buy the train car!

 

[fmo24]

A buddy wanted to do a Tesla
Charging station there.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

The Cafe neon sign is pretty cool

 

[Hava-Schiada]

Always loved stopping there for a “clean” restroom break. But better was watching newbs launch over the notorious dip.

 

[kevin1988]

Everyone with ideas for a travel center, gas station, fast food....where are you planning on getting employees from?

I manage a fast food in Lake Elsinore, start employees at a $1 above minimum and still have a hell of a time getting applications in.

 

[old rigger]

https://i15auctions.proxibid.com/Gr...rt-Center-Estate-Auction/event-catalog/168495

Check it out, you can buy the train car!

Like to have that cafe sign. Lots of memories from that off ramp. I'm more than little embarrassed to admit it but back in the day, Desert Center was where we'd start drinking on the way to our place on the strip except we'd usually head straight to Sundance, shut it down then to our place and fumble fuck around getting it opened up and cooled off. That was in the early 70s until the mid 80s and I'm the luckiest SOB on the planet to have never hurt any one.

Still, I like that sign. Might have to figure out how to bid on it. Be cool to have in the living room.

 

[HCP3]

Like to have that cafe sign. Lots of memories from that off ramp. I'm more than little embarrassed to admit it but back in the day, Desert Center was where we'd start drinking on the way to our place on the strip except we'd usually head straight to Sundance, shut it down then to our place and fumble fuck around getting it opened up and cooled off. That was in the early 70s until the mid 80s and I'm the luckiest SOB on the planet to have never hurt any one.

Still, I like that sign. Might have to figure out how to bid on it. Be cool to have in the living room.

Hopefully you have a big living room! That sucker is 9' x 6'!

 

[old rigger]

There is a train engine left over from a movie inside the building just down from corner.

It's a prop, probably fall apart trying to get it out.

 

[old rigger]

Hopefully you have a big living room! That sucker is 9' x 6'!

Amazingly the living room at the river is much larger that the one in our home in Long Beach. Probably 3 times as big.

 

[old rigger]

Of course out house in LB is very small.

 

[Dana757]

Like to have that cafe sign. Lots of memories from that off ramp. I'm more than little embarrassed to admit it but back in the day, Desert Center was where we'd start drinking on the way to our place on the strip except we'd usually head straight to Sundance, shut it down then to our place and fumble fuck around getting it opened up and cooled off. That was in the early 70s until the mid 80s and I'm the luckiest SOB on the planet to have never hurt any one.

Still, I like that sign. Might have to figure out how to bid on it. Be cool to have in the living room.

Stuff like that needs to stay so everyone can enjoy! I get it though, I'd love to have it too. Actually I'm surprised it's still there.

 

[Dana757]

Always good for a fun photo op. Drank my share of beer between there and Parker myself. Youth!

 

[Tank]

https://i15auctions.proxibid.com/Gr...rt-Center-Estate-Auction/event-catalog/168495

Check it out, you can buy the train car!

Holy crap theres a lot of stuff in that auction!

 

[Rvrluvr]

They filmed an episode of airwolf there. Lol

 

[CJ_Donahue]

Holy crap theres a lot of stuff in that auction!

A lot of stuff but not much stuff anyone would want. Factor shipping and they would be luck just not to pay to dispose of most of it.

 

[RVRKID]

Looks like the auction happened and they sold a bunch of it, https://neverquitelost.com/2019/11/06/goodbye-desert-center/

 

[mjc]

I was watching some of the auction since there were a couple things my wife would have liked. But the stuff went for way more the it was worth.