Costco Buys Former Coon Rapids TGI Fridays Site to Double Gas-Pump Capacity

Costco has purchased the former TGI Fridays property at 12519 Riverdale Blvd. in Coon Rapids for $5.5 million, according to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reporting published July 21, 2026. The purchase advances a previously approved plan to relocate and expand the fuel facility at the adjacent Costco property, 12547 Riverdale Blvd.

The city-approved project would move the fuel operation from its current location to the former restaurant parcel, increase the station from 10 pumps to 20 and create capacity for up to 40 vehicles. The plan also adds parking and changes how vehicles enter, queue and leave the site.

Plan separates gas queues from parking traffic

Coon Rapids Planning Commission minutes say Costco proposed a dedicated fuel area that would operate separately from parking circulation. The design includes wider lanes, greater spacing between pumps and additional parking intended to improve maneuverability.

The project is aimed at a traffic problem identified during the city’s review: gas queues can blend with the Costco drive aisle, while traffic entering from Northdale Boulevard can create confusion near the existing fuel facility.

The plan includes a proposed right-in/right-out access point and a proposed deceleration-lane improvement on Riverdale Boulevard. City records describe those features as measures intended to reduce congestion and improve safety near Northdale and Riverdale boulevards. They are planned design elements, not verified results from a completed project.

Planning review raised traffic and safety questions

The Coon Rapids Planning Commission reviewed Planning Case 25-8 on Aug. 21, 2025. The commission discussed vehicle stacking, the distance between the proposed exit and a U-turn area, sightlines, the Northdale entrance and exit configuration and the eventual decommissioning of the existing fuel station.

Costco representatives said the proposed layout had been tested with traffic simulations. The minutes also describe wider lanes and increased spacing between pumps. Those simulations informed the city’s review but do not establish how traffic will perform after construction.

The Planning Commission recommended approval 6-1, with Commissioner Mary Schmolke voting against the recommendation. The matter then went to the City Council.

Council approved the development in September 2025

On Sept. 2, 2025, the Coon Rapids City Council unanimously approved Resolution 25-92 for the planned-unit development covering 12547 and 12519 Riverdale Blvd.

The council approval requires the two properties to be combined, all engineering and fire-safety comments to be addressed, and the applicant to enter into development, site-security and right-of-entry agreements with the city.

The council minutes do not show that construction is underway or provide an opening date for the expanded fuel operation. The records also leave final engineering questions open, including whether additional lane changes on Northdale will be feasible.

What the purchase means for Coon Rapids drivers

For Costco shoppers, the project could eventually mean more fuel-service capacity and a different circulation pattern at the Riverdale Boulevard warehouse. The former TGI Fridays address is included in the city-approved development plan, but the new pump layout and access changes are not yet in place based on the records reviewed.

Drivers should not assume that construction has begun or that the proposed Riverdale and Northdale access pattern is active. Any future changes depend on final engineering, fire-safety review, development agreements, site-security requirements, right-of-entry arrangements and permitting.

Sources

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