Abandoned Gas - BP - Coon Rapids, MN
The last two of which came after this former BP Gas Station, closed for the final time.
Guess we’ll start this out with a little history lesson…
Shown here, when it was open, on August 10, 2016. Built on the northeast corner of Crooked Lake Blvd. and Coon Rapids Blvd., the gas station on this land itself dates back to the 1960’s. Known then as Crooked Lake Standard Oil, another part of the Standard Oil brand, that sold gasoline in many parts of the country. Those Standard Oil stations had a similar style of building. Shaped like a house, with multiple built in garage doors, next to a small retail space. Two lanes of four gas pumps sit out front of the building, which was set back from the street. Usually featuring a mechanics garage, that fueled sales more than retail convenience store fare does today. This station was locally owned by Bob Ring. He also owned the Standard Oil station a few miles north, at the Highway 10 crossing of County Road 242. That location was eventually eaten by a Menards that grew up behind it.
Standard Oil had been broken up by the U.S. Government in 1911, into several smaller, independent companies. One of which was the Standard Oil of Indiana. In 1925, they purchased the American Oil Company. Over time, the brand “Amoco” was used more often in corporate naming. Standard Oil of Indiana made the name change to Amoco, official in 1985. British Petroleum merged with Amoco in 1998, and the name became BP Amoco for a short period. Wanting to save on the expense of all the extra unneeded letters, it was reduced to BP almost right away.
Because everything old is new again, BP started bringing back the Amoco brand name in 2017. I remember being surprised by new Amoco signage, on an old gas station in St. Cloud, MN, a few years ago.
Consumer trends changed in the early 1980’s. Gas stations with expanded retail area became more popular than stations that fixed cars, in addition to refueling them. In 1984, the old Amoco station was demolished, in favor of this new model. The 1980’s saw many classic gas stations replaced by essentially a double-wide trailer, with pumps on both sides, underneath a large canopy. Typically, a car wash would be inside a separate property. Despite being owned by two completely different parent companies, this BP station looked very similar to other (and now demolished) Coon Rapids gas stations, such as Conoco Freedom, the legendary 99 Spillihp (one and two) and the Amoco a few miles east, at Coon Rapids Blvd. and the 610 bridge.
Advertisement for Amoco, which appeared in an illustrated Coon Rapids map, from 1995.
The address listed in the ad is for the Amoco Certicare center, which was located next door.
The gas station address was at 2825 Coon Rapids Blvd.
Amoco Certicare has evolved since 1995. It’s still open today, as a completely separate business. Now known as Minnesota Automotive, it sits just east of the old BP Car Wash building. Also note that sweet rusted out light pole, sitting between the sidewalk and driveway. Don’t know if that pre-dates the 1984 rebuild, but it looks very old.
From the Minnesota Automotive website: “Our location in Coon Rapids is no stranger to name change. The shop started out with the name “Amoco Certicare,” because of the gas station next door. Next, the name was flipped to “MR Tire.” Then, onto “Coon Rapids Tire One,” before shortly becoming “Mike’s Tire One.” Finally, our Coon Rapids location made its way to “Minnesota Automotive,” a name that customers will never forget.”
Inadequate photo of Mike’s Tire One, from September, 2012.
New Mandarin Chinese Restaurant, sits behind it. They closed in May of 2024, after many years in business. (Which is a story for another day.) Not long after closing, the Hyderabad Indian Grill opened up in the building.
Which is great and all, but this story is about getting gas…
Speaking of Inadequate photos…
West side of the BP. Taken during my September, 2011, drives around for Crapids photos. Not a good representation of the BP. At this time, I was still acquiring material for a planned Wasted Quarter issue about Coon Rapids. But I had no idea what it would look like. So I was just taking pictures from the streets, every time I visited on vacation from Colorado. Without a strategy for what I needed/wanted to use in the future. But this shot doesn’t tell much of a story.
Neither does the shot of the back of the building.
I’m assuming that BP was open, despite there being no cars in the lot.
That photo was taken during a U-turn in the Fantasy Gifts parking lot. Selling dildos and stuff to Crapidians since 2009, the former PDQ convenience store also sold mattresses (and baseball cards) for a while. This is Fantasy Gifts third Coon Rapids location. Previously operating stores in the Coon Rapids shopping center (demolished in 2004) and CR Blvd. Taco Bell (demolished in 2011). I’m not going to tell you that I’ve never patronized Fantasy Gifts, just not to the ridiculous levels of ever dropping $129.99 in a single visit. Their neighbor couldn’t make a go if it selling petroleum and cigarettes, but Fantasy Gifts is still going strong selling their product lines today.
In defiance of the internet removing all need to shop in public for your butt plugs and sexy lingerie.
While I’m not certain that BP was open in September of 2011, it was absolutely closed one year later…
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Driving down Coon Rapids Blvd., I saw that BP wasn’t open. So I pulled over and parked in the Fantasy Gifts lot, for a quick walk around the BP property. No intended purpose for these pictures, just wanted them for possible future Wasted Quarter projects. This website was more of a dismissed thought than a plan, in 2012.
Pump and the front of the store. Still looking open.
Someone just needs to come out and move the garbage can, back onto the island.
Only sign that something is off, being the hand-written sign on the door…
ENHANCE!!!
“We Are Temporarily Closed Due to BP Error”
Way to throw the parent company under the bus! What does this even mean? I’m picturing that corporate somehow forgot about their franchise and suddenly dropped support. The gas trucks stopped delivering and suppliers quit being paid. All employee compensation was cut off with no warning. Eventually the employees figured it out, united and said: “Screw it!”, locked the doors behind them, after scrawling out two accusatory taped to the door notes.
Looking in and to the right. The coffee and fountain drinks area against the window. Likely a pastry case and roller-wieners on the counter below the window. Raised cashier booth on the left side of the picture. Hiding behind the Star Tribune advertisement, against the window.
Again, this was very early into my developing “snooping around closed-up businesses with a camera” hobby. So they’re very disappointing. Ruined by reflections I hadn’t yet figured out how to minimize. This picture was bad, this picture is worse…
Hinted at and fairly clear empty gas station shelves, underneath a reverse of Goodyear and Family Center Mall’s sign, across the street. Strangely blurry, when the store interior is somewhat in focus. If you look closely, the cooler doors and drop ceiling can be made out.
Car Wash building on the east side of the lot.
Gas pumps with Diesel plastic bagged. Looks like the access door on the car wash was originally glass, but had been covered by dark plywood. Looking a this picture makes me wish I had quickly come up with a plan for getting more and better pictures. The car wash building should have been much better looked at.
Walking up to the opposite side entrance, that I was looking through earlier.
More empty shelving with an ice cream freezer. And the brick wall of Fantasy Gifts floating mystically above it.
Inside the cashier booth. Decent shot of the cash register, with confusing reflections of the parking lot, car wash and trees above it, combined with the "Bullet Resistant Package", the open cross windows, showing Precision Tune, across Crooked Lake Blvd.
It’s almost art!
Here’s a decent picture! An invoice for (what appears to be) phone cards, dated 3/22/2012. The retail price total on the invoice was $370.00. Total amount due was $306.20, leaving the listed store profit of $63.80. Also, it was payable in cash.
Whatever this invoice was for, it must have been properly settled. Perhaps this was the accused BP Error?
Regardless of details, or a concrete date of reopening, the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP was back in business in September, 2015.
And I really should have stopped by for a picture of that pay phone.
Nearly a year later, BP is still chugging away. There never seems to be a whole lot of customers around when I’ve been taking pictures. Probably a sign this street corner isn’t as lucrative for a gas station than it used to be.
August, 2016, car wash exit. Looking like the grass/weeds needs a trim… Also noticed the vacuum unit next to the trash can. Don’t remember seeing that before. I know it had been removed well before BP closed. They just never removed the reference to it on the car wash windows.
Two years after this picture, Laura and I had moved back to Coon Rapids, and I started driving by the BP every day. Because it was so familiar, I hadn’t really noticed the gradual transformation from BP Gas Station, to BP Tobacco and Vape. Most of the street visible windows were now covered in painted signs advertising THC, CBD and Kratom. And 50 cent coffee!
Monday, September 9, 2022.
The last photo I have of Coon Rapids Blvd. BP open.
The latest (and only) Yelp review for the station is dated April 23, 2023. Because I wasn’t paying close attention, I took now photos of the BP, between August, 2016, and September, 2022. The next thing I knew, the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP, had closed for good. At some point in June or July of 2023.
Back in the days of 99 Spillihp, the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP (then Amoco), represented the southwest corner of our daily gas station price survey. Karen would use this time to drive down Hanson Blvd. to Coon Rapids Blvd. to Crooked Lake Blvd. to Northdale and back to home base. This would cover Mobil, whatever gas station was at whatever Angel’s Food Mart was called back then, EZ Stop, This Amoco station featured here, the (now) Shell station across from the Anoka County Library, Brooks Convenience Store and SuperAmerica.
Forgot about the quick jaunt down Robinson to check the Food & Fuel no one ever shopped at.
******
On the matter of BP’s closure and subsequent demolition, I needed to consult my Doktor.
“I have very vivid memories of buying gas for my first car there. (And buying rubbers in the middle of the night.)”
(Given the time frame that represents, I'm thinking that was either during Med School? Or was it Fiona School? Or maybe it was Teen Pee School?) I don’t remember where I typically filled my first car with gas. EZ Stop on the way home from working the 5pm-3am, Friday and Saturday shifts, at the Coon Rapids Blvd. Perkins happened a lot. After I started working at 99 Spillihp in 1993, it was never anyplace else.
“That’s also where I discovered “Coca-Cola Blak.” The greatest soft drink in human history that only existed for about six weeks in the early 2000’s. It was 50/50 Coke and coffee with light carbonation. It was fucking glorious.”
Never heard of it.
******
Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Another Coon Rapids Blvd. BP walk-around this evening. The first in nearly 11 years. I got off work early tonight, and it was still light enough for pictures, so I’ll take advantage of that. See what the recently closed vape shop (with gas) looked like after shutting the doors.
The BP sign had been upgraded from a manual to digital price sign, since I last took a picture of it… In 2012.
Parked my car in the corner of the lot. It was around 8pm. Fantasy Gifts had only one car in their lot, so I avoided parking in front of their store. Thinking that I’d arise suspicion by parking there and not going in. As opposed to parking along the curb of the gas station, which was no longer open. Not hidden from any angle. Oh well, not like I was going to be here longer than 5-10 minutes.
Pumps have been removed, though I suspected they weren’t selling gas close to the end.
Typical gas station architectural style from the mid-1980’s.
BP sun logo from the canopy.
Along with a security camera, which may or may not have been taking pictures of me, taking pictures of it.
Those salt bags sat outside the closed gas station for months before they were finally gone. Funny that no one stole them…
Or maybe they did?
Another angle, looking north up Crooked Lake Blvd.
Wow! They’re free?!?!
Even I may consider switching from my beloved Winston Light 100’s BOX (now Gold 100’s BOX), if these Montego sticks were indeed free… As a bonus, the sign was attached to that sweet rusted light pole.
Time to walk up to the door on this side.
I should probably take note of the now missing pumps, and their connection to the underground tanks.
Usually, all of this has been removed when I wander around an abandoned gas station. These are pretty intact, so the pumps must have just been taken out. Since they are gone, that means there are no intentions of reopening as another gas station. They hadn’t been removed during any previous closure.
East side entrance, with bleachers for bottles of windshield washer fluid, assorted floor mats, garbage can....
And a bag of garbage that just didn’t make it far enough. Featuring BP Visa card brochures and some plastic display pieces.
Forgot that cigarettes are now 21 and over… That’s crazy to me.
And a decal poster advertising that same BP Visa, that are laying on top of sidewalk garbage.
Work has begun on tearing out the store interior. I hope that glass display case on the right found a good home. I’d love something similar to display some of the Transformers Museum.
That was five years ago… Kind of sad this is the biggest accomplishment the station could come up with for bragging rights.
Behind the cashier stand. Which wasn’t enclosed today, as it was in 2012.
Same cashier stand, from looking in the opposite window. Wasn’t ever inside, but I’m confused by those large cage wall type things blocking access to the front counter. Assuming they weren’t like that when the store was open, yet it looks like they’re permanently attached to the ceiling in that position.
Boxed up pieces of the old cigarette racks, with other shelving parts around it. The monitor that is still turned on, shows the 12 security cameras on site. Had I known they were recording me, I would have waved.
Looking inside the west door, through the accordion gate. Some sort of promotional bag for Bamboo Cones, sits inside that cool glass case. Which probably means someone is keeping it. However, the future of the leftover Little Tree Air Fresheners is less clear. Apparently, the BP Tobacco and Vape was also a Bitcoin Dept. Because why not…
Hints at BP’s Amoco past are peeling through the canopy.
Underground gas tanks on the north side of the property. These would be removed in a couple of months. I did not get any photos, despite seeing it happen on my way to work. Several frosted windows of Fantasy Gifts are on the left.
Back of the BP. A single, unisex restroom is on the left, with a utility access door on the right. The bolded Tobacco Vape on the back of the building looks really cheap. Not that it takes away from the tacky full window paint coverings. Just kind of a sad and undignified end for what had been a Coon Rapids business for over 60 years.
One of the security camera watching me, alongside the Tank Overfill Alarm. Barely visible under the roof overhang.
The side of the car wash building. That green cylinder would have been the vacuum stand, I learned of earlier. You can also see the plywood on the side door, curving up at the bottom. Unclear whether the original glass door is underneath it, or if it was replaced by an inferior door.
Car Wash entrance. Looks like it’s being used for storage, instead of washing cars.
However, that sign is clearly knocked over… Indicating it must be open!
Assorted gas station stuff stashed behind the car wash. Including a door that must have been somewhere else.
Walking back to my car. Somehow fighting the undeniable urge to swipe a bag of softener salt.
And continue on my drive home.
The other car had left Fantasy Gifts.
So my car would have definitely stood out, had I parked there.
Saturday, December 16, 2023.
Just noticed the BP Sun logo has been removed from the front of the canopy. Don’t know when that happened. Perhaps it was repossessed by BP themselves? December 2023, also brought some news on the future of the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP Gas Station…
The Coon Rapids City Council approved a site plan for a 8,375 square foot strip mall, on the site at 2825 Coon Rapids Blvd. The building will have space for five retail tenants. We can speculate as to how successful adding new in-line retail will be, in an area where retail died 30 years ago. One of those 5 spaces will likely be a Tobacco & Vape shop (all but confirmed), another space will be a nail salon, another will be a discount cell phone service, and the other two spaces will never find tenants.
So yeah, now we just for the gas station to be demolished.
With the plans approved, that shouldn’t take long, right?
RIGHT?
******
Friday, June 28, 2024.
It had been six months since the redevelopment plan had been announced, and BP was still standing. Looking pretty shabby, but still there. This was another early release night from work, so I thought I’d take advantage of the cloudy late daylight for some updated pictures, and walk around the property.
BP’s lawn hasn’t been maintained in months and weeds are starting to show up through the pavement. Including where the pump islands had been, before they were removed along with the underground tanks. Leaving just a patch of gravel where they once dispensed fuel.
And here’s a notice from city, dated 8 days earlier, informing BP that they need to cut the grass. According to the notice, they had 10 days to correct this and it’s been 8… Sounds like a hefty fine to me! Too bad there isn’t a name on the notice. It ends with a simple: Respectfully, (long space for a signature/name) Long Grass Inspector.
Is that an elected position?
Southwest corner of the lot shot.
No one was at Fantasy Gifts tonight.
Walking towards the car wash building.
Car wash exit. With nicely kept up grass!
Looking west, across the BP lot.
Looking further across Crooked Lake Blvd., the Precision Tire sign had been painted over with black, several years earlier. Guess that’s cheaper than buying a new sign. It’s covered better today, but the old sign is still hanging. Covered in black paint.
The car wash menu, painted on top of frosted windows, that would not allow me a clear shot inside the car wash building.
Say… What is that sticking out of the garbage can, that wasn’t on the sidewalk last year…
Well, it’s the empty packaging for the Money Shot Male Masturbator. My mind immediately pictured some dude, who was so excited by his Fantasy Gifts purchase, that he had to test it out in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station. And after doing that, you absolutely can’t return the item to the Fantasy Gifts, sitting less than 50 feet away. So you definitely wouldn’t need the box it came inside. (No pun intended.)
One thing you have to give to this fellow, he knows how to treat himself… A quick Googles search brought back the Money Shot Male Masturbator retailing for $129.99.
He was apparently “worth it”.
After my discovery, I texted a photo to my Doktor. A few minutes later, he returned:
"If that dude had any taste, he'd have bought Sally the Fucking Slut".
Absolutely.
Funny, Broadway Book and Video closed nearly 25 years ago now… Even Sally has to be all blown out and dried up these days…
The car wash entrance destroys the illusion of a facade that matched the canopy. That is just a picture of a matching facade. And it’s peeling away to reveal the black paint underneath it. Inside the car wash looks empty and the closed sign is gone. So if you have a dirty and salt truck, you’re probably still out of luck.
Dumpster House has seen better days.
Typical expected closed-up gas station trash left inside. Some cooler shelf signage for Coca-Cola (regular, not Blak) and broken pallets. Possibly from the bags of softener salt that are no longer sitting out front.
Time to see what the interior is looking like these days.
As another year of decay is revealing more of the old Amoco canopy stripes.
The door has seen some tagging.
Actually kind of like how the red contrasts with the BP green stripe and black trim.
Inside has been stripped down to the cinder back walls.
Sales counter with a car wash menu left affixed to the formica. One of the fluorescent light covers is hanging open, with the lights still on. The BP would remain lit up inside at night until its final weeks.
Someone’s Igloo cooler has been left behind. Don’t know when they’re coming back, but it would be a real testimony to their effectiveness, if months old drinks were still cold inside.
Parts of the front window had been uncovered, so I was able to point the lens of my camera through an open space. Finally able to get an across the store shot of the coolers. You can see marks on the floor from where shelving once stood.
Cashier stand from the opposite door.
Retail floor.
And wrap things up with one last look at the car wash.
******
Not long after I took these pictures, I kept seeing the BP station property used for the storage of vehicles, trailers and occasional yard sales. I’d drive by on my way to work and see piles of crap spread out under the canopy, for several days in a row. Clothing hanging off wires, stretched between the canopy poles, and the gas station building. Should have checked it out once, but I had to get to work.
In September of 2024, the canopy over the station, as well as the overhang on both buildings, was painted a dark grey color. All references to BP’s colors, logos and signage was all covered up. Also covering up the traces of Amoco that kept trying to peek through.
Nice Dumpster!
Saturday, November 9, 2024.
Looking at the grey BP, from the Arby’s drive thru, across Coon Rapids Blvd.
If you planned on sitting here to watch the demolition, you’d have been pretty disgruntled. BP survived that fall, the winter and the next spring. Kept waiting to see if go down, but even week
******
Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Another 8 months later, still nothing new and/or interesting going on at the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP. The grass is really long again, but I didn’t feel like stopping to check for a notice from the Long Grass Inspector. I continued to ignore the BP site, other than casting glance as I drove by on my way to or back from work. Knowing the plans for redevelopment of the property had been approved a year and half ago, so what was the hold up here? Just tear it down and get it over with.
Center Point Electric was on site, on the first Friday afternoon in September. I’m assuming it was to check the wiring and cut power to the buildings. Traffic was too heavy to get a picture of them parked in front of the station. Were I truly committed to whatever it is that I’m doing with this site, I would have circled the block for that picture, depicting a key moment in the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP’s fate.
Instead, I simply made a note on my pocket notepad.
If Center Point was indeed doing what I suspected, there would be an excavator popping up in the parking lot any day now...
Sure enough, one magically appeared exactly one week later.
The countdown to BP’s demolition had officially begun.
I kind of expected the demolition to begin on Friday, September 12, 2025, so I left early for work in case I needed to stop for pictures. Approaching from Crooked Lake, I saw the building still intact and no one around.
Meaning I would be able to come back this weekend, for a final round of BP photos. Just before the whole place is gone for good.
******
Sunday, September 14, 2025.
Late in the afternoon, I drove up to the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP. Just as I’d assumed, this would be the gas station’s last day standing. Giving me a final shot at pictures, before it is demolished tomorrow morning. Already planned on stopping by on my way to work, for destruction photos.
The setting sun highlighted the sloppy drippy mortar inside the empty monument sign. Stark contrast to how professional the exterior brickwork looks.
Gustafson Excavating was the lucky contracted party to tear down the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP.
At least the grass was cut before they destroy all of it anyways. Wouldn’t want to draw the ire of the City of Coon Rapids Long Grass Inspector!
West side of the station. Weeds are growing in the gravel filled pump pits, along the sidewalk and cracks in the concrete.
Quick!! Call EMS!!
Sitting in the shadows of the Bringer of Doom.
No one is shopping at the Fantasy Gifts tonight.
South facing front windows, covered by painted signs promoting product.
I cannot stress this enough… If you’re going to tag something, make sure you have a properly working can of spray paint, and know how to do it! Whomever did this to the BP sidewalk should be embarrassed by this work. Do you even know what cursive writing looks like? Or did you accidentally misspell “baby” and had double back to cover it up? Also very telling that you could execute clear dollar signs, but had no idea what to do before it. Have a plan and execute. You can’t get to dollar signs if you can’t complete steps 1 and 2. Did the Underpants Gnomes not teach you a single thing? This is so amateur… Is that an L and a Y, then $$? You need to learn some better skills, or the only dollars you’re ever going to see, are the ones you spray paint yourself.
Just paint a giant dong on the building and be done with it.
At least that would be funny.
Good thing that camera hasn’t been operational for decades, or the footage of your dumb ass botching that tag, would be viral on TikTok. Or whatever you kids use these days…
Clearly, you’ll never be a REAL influencer.
Still can’t believe it’s now 21 for cigarettes…
Behind the sales counter.
The Igloo cooler has made it out of the building safely.
Looking under the sales counter, with the coolers in the back.
A little higher up, to show the black painted board hanging down over the sales counter.
Apparently, no one likes Vanilla enough to save it.
Sales counter from the west windows. Like all of the wires hanging down. Looks cool.
Doesn’t look like the Smoker’s Pole is making it out alive.
Time to walk around back, think I’ll enjoy a cigarette while doing so!
That tacky Tobacco and Vape has been painted over. Looks like that big satellite dish is falling along with the roof it’s attached to.
Unpaved area of the lot where the tanks were pulled out of the ground, about a year ago.
Car Wash building.
With no recent Fantasy Gifts trash left sitting around.
Car Wash entrance.
Looking the same as it has for years, now with grey covering paint.
Car Wash exit
Station and excavator from southeast.
Another gravel filled missing pump pit.
Last look at the car wash.
Oh, there’s a new(?) flyer stuck to the canopy support pole…
Well, it expired over two years ago.
Guess it was here before, but I ignored it when I was walking around here last time.
East door has more tagging on it.
Oh well, it’ll be completely destroyed in less than 24 hours.
As will the rest of this.
And with that, I got back in my car, and continued on to wherever it was I went after this.
From the left turn lane of Crooked Lake Blvd.
Rounding the corner, onto Coon Rapids Blvd.
Driving east on Coon Rapids Blvd.
Oh, that’s right, I was on my way to grab some groceries at the Village 4 Cub Foods.
Then pick up dinner and go back home for the night.
I did take pictures of all of that, but nothing worth adding.
******
Monday, September 15, 2025.
As planned, I left early for work today. I was 99% certain the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP was being demolished, and I needed pictures. Took a different route, driving Northdale to Crooked Lake Blvd., then down to Coon Rapids Blvd. Giving me an excuse for more pictures of the water tower, the recently closed Sew With Me, Anoka County Library, and other buildings of note along the way.
Except Burger Time. Nothing new there after all the excitement of a couple years ago.
Sure enough, as I approached the slight turn on Crooked Lake Blvd., I saw the excavator wrestling with broken BP pieces. No more canopy constricting its movements. The pictures I took from the north did not turn out. Should have gone back for a second attempt. Instead, crossing Coon Rapids Blvd., to park in Arby’s lot and walking across the street to what was left of BP.
Waiting for the light to turn so I can cross the street.
There were no grown-ups around to help me, so I had to do it all on my own.
Not much left of the station itself. Which looks so small without the canopy. Of course this wouldn’t have been a very complex demolition. It’s a simple cinder block rectangle, with only a few walls in the back quarter of the structure. Looks like the excavator tore out the back walls and then just drove over everything.
I was hoping that an identifying piece of BP was still intact when I came by for pictures. With any photos I take of buildings in mid demolition, I always want something recognizable standing out from the destruction around it. Parts of the front windows and wall was about the best I could have asked for. Especially with that one triangle of glass, still trying to say “Vape”.
Pieces of the canopy are spread around the lot, between the gas station and car wash buildings. Those two grey poles laying on the ground, used to sit in front of the old pay phone. When that was still in the lot. Pretty sure it was gone several years before BP closed.
Assuming the roof framework of the canopy will be cut apart as the recyclable metals are separated and shipped off the land.
Guessing they won’t tear down the car wash building until tomorrow.
But that door is finally open!
ENHANCE!!!
After all those years, they never got around to painting the sheetrock… Lame…
Doesn’t look very interesting either. Possibly a bottle carrier on the floor? That’s about the only thing I see of interest.
And by interest, I mean no interest.
Back around to the west side of the property.
I like how all of the broken apart gas station is bulging the brick out from inside.
Dude in the orange shirt, is cutting a mean whiz on the excavator.
Sometimes I’m 12 years old.
Support poles for the canopy, with the crumpled up canopy next to it.
There’s the beam with that BP Amoco Visa card advertisement stuck to it. So it wasn’t removed prior to demolition. Meaning someone at whatever recycling place will have to deal with it. Probably cursing Visa as much as I curse Capital One, every time Jennifer Garner fake smiles on my TV, asking about my wallet.
Excavator is now working on pulling metal out of the wreckage, and dropping that in a small pile just to the left of where the unisex restroom used to be.
Walking back to my car… Had to stop and appreciate the excavator picking up piles of broken gas station, shaking them around and dropping some of it, then moving the rest to another pile behind it. While some guy pees on it. Can’t imagine this being the most efficient way of sorting piles of demolishment, but it’s not like you could easily do it by hand either.
Satisfied with what I saw, I continued on my way to work.
I did not eat Arby’s.
Driving by the next afternoon, the car wash building has been demolished.
Oddly enough, the old light pole by the sidewalk and driveway has been removed, but the base remains. Even more strange is the base has been cleaned up and repainted. I’m sure that makes sense to someone.
The next day, I took the Crooked Lake to Coon Rapids Blvd. route, to see what the property was looking like. Both buildings were down and removed. Work was now centered on peeling up the pavement. As they were doing this, several large rocks were pulled up and placed near the sidewalk. Almost like the people who built BP in 1984 said: “We could deal with these, or we could just hide them under a layer of cement. Someone else can deal with them in 40 years!”
Can’t say I wouldn’t use that sort of argument…
Wouldn’t you know it, the old BP monument sign, with the sloppy, drippy mortar inside, would be the very last thing removed from the BP property!
I like that.
Even though it outlived its usefulness, I was somewhat sad to see the Coon Rapids Blvd. BP go. After the significance of the 99 Spillihp days, I feel somewhat of a kinship with gas stations laid out in a similar manner. Gas stations of this (mid-1980’s) era are disappearing fast. What was trendy 40 years ago, is obsolete today.
As goes the cycle of retail.
Goodbye Coon Rapids Blvd. BP Tobacco & Vape, and the hints of your Amoco past…
Wait! Is it too late to donate some clothes?
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Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Work has already begun on the new in-line retail building, at the BP site. As soon as all of the old gas station was removed, the land was prepared for foundation work. Makes sense, I’m sure they’d like to get that part of the building finished before winter hits too hard. We’re a week away from November, and it looks like reasonable progress has been made.
Gives me something to pay attention to as I’m driving to work.
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