Some things never change —like the vague concepts and promises of a snack bar for the lovely old Joy Oil filling station in Sir Casimir Gzowski Park.

It was restored a dozen years ago by the city at a cost of nearly $400,000 but has been vacant and fenced off ever since, with plans floated along the way that never panned out.

Joy Oil’s “tiny castles,” named for its turrets and faux-chateau design, were once common in southern Ontario, until eventually the only one left ended up in the city’s hands, with an historic designation.

Instead of a moat, this tiny castle just east of Windermere Avenue has a fence to keep people away. It was gorgeous after the restoration in 2008 but the neglect is obvious, including peeling paint and an old tire that somebody flung onto the roof.

It caught the eye of Al Gallo, who sent me notes including an email to Mayor John Tory’s office in December, noting that “$400,000 of taxpayer money has been squandered, action is long overdue.”

The reply to Gallo from Tory’s office said that its concession licensee in the western beaches has gone through a “preliminary project revue (sic) with the city and is working on submitting a Site Plan Control Application.”

After that, the licensee will apply for building permits “so they can begin retrofitting the interior to accommodate an Information Centre, snack bar and community programming space.”

It sounds a lot like the plan revealed by the city that I wrote about in 2013 – a snack bar in part of it and vaguely-defined uses for the rest – but failed to materialize.

STATUS: I once again popped the question about plans for the station and got a reply from parks, forestry and recreation similar to the note Gallo got from the mayor’s office, but with more detail. It said the licensee has “completed renderings and floor plan drawings,” that require approval before building permits can be issued and work can start on retrofitting the structure for the planned uses. The building is to be painted this spring and the work is to start this summer, with all costs to be paid by the licensee, it said. I heard pretty much the same thing seven years ago, so it’s no stretch to say I’m doubtful. But maybe they’ll come through with a fresh coat of paint.