Hesperus Oasis, the only gas station in the Hesperus area, will be closed until March or April for remodeling.

As part of the remodeling, the store may expand slightly, and the building may be split into two spaces, with a liquor store on one side and the service station on the other, said owner Bo Pruski.

The gas station, about 11 miles west of Durango, may also reopen with refurbished restrooms for customers, he said.

But plans for the shop, originally built in 1954, are “all dreams right now,” and none of them has been finalized, he said.

The shop is being cleared out in preparation for construction that could start in January or February, he said.

It is the first time Pruski has closed the shop for the winter since he bought it in 2002, he said.

“A lot of locals are a little disappointed, but they understand,” he said.

While the station is closed, Hesperus residents will have to buy gas in Durango, Mancos or Red Mesa.

mshinn@durangoherald.com