Unlike most recent projects in Capitol Hill — save one — 7-Eleven is planning to move dirt to go down rather than up. CHS has learned that the 7-Eleven at 16th and Madison is planning to dig up its underground fuel tanks and replace them with a larger one with less overall volume.

This kind of work isn’t uncommon on areas of the Hill with an auto row past — and, in 7-Eleven’s case, present.

The nearby Taco Time site had contaminated soil concerns. Development of a mixed-use building at the site was moving forward as of this spring. Meanwhile, in another example, the E Pike BMW dealership site also has required clean-up, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. A 260-unit apartment building moves forward there.

For the E Madison 7-Eleven, the work appears to be about continuing to operate as a gas station.

The Arizona-based owners of the Capitol Hill chain convenience store and fueling station applied for a permit to remove three 12,000 gallon and one 1,500 gallon fuel tanks and replace them with a single 20,000 gallon tank. The project will require pulling up a sizable chunk of asphalt on the cramped, 4-station lot.

We don’t have details yet on when the work will start or how long it will take. Managers at the 7-11 declined to comment on the plans and referred all questions about the project to 7-Eleven’s corporate offices. A worker, who did not give his name, said the tanks had been recently worked on.

In 2011 CHS reported on the Madison 7-Eleven’s installation of Amazon’s trial “P.O. box” lockers.