Owners weigh future of Champlin’s oldest business, the landmark Sinclair with costumed dinosaur

The Sinclair station along Highway 169, just south of the Mississippi River in Champlin, is a north metro landmark for lots of reasons: It’s the city’s longest-lasting business, it’s still a full-service gas station, and it’s home to a beloved Brontosaurus, often in costume.

Now the future of the station and the dinosaur out front is uncertain as the family that owns it considers what to do after the death of the patriarch at the heart of the old-school business.

James “Jim” Merkl, who ran the business with his family for nearly 50 years, died in January at age 76 after battling health issues. The family hasn’t officially decided if they will sell, but if they do, the city is considering purchasing the property to redevelop the corner. And already, residents are pleading for a piece of the nostalgia to be preserved in some way.

“If you sit here long enough you’ll hear the bell ring like it’s the 1950s. And that tells somebody to go out and pump gas, wash your windows and check your oil,” said Jim’s wife Diana Merkl, as she sat inside the station, surrounded by old Sinclair signs and paintings of the business from community members, as well as plushie and inflatable versions of the Brontosaurus mascot.

A time capsule off the highway, the Sinclair station dates back to the 1930s, though the current structure was built in 1956. It’s remained a staple of Champlin as the community changed around it, transforming from dirt roads and farmhouses to a bustling suburban district with new apartments and businesses.

“The property may be Champlin Sinclair, but Jim was Champlin Sinclair,” friend Tim Huttner said. “There’s a legacy factor. Generations of people went there for years. Jim wanted to maintain that. He didn’t get rich doing that job, but what he got was mentally rich.”

Diana Merkl helped solidify the business as a local landmark when she added Dino, the green fiberglass dinosaur. One especially cold winter, she said, she knitted Dino a scarf, which ended up freezing to his neck.

That turned into a tradition of dressing the dinosaur year-round.

For 25 years, she dressed Dino for each occasion, in a Father Time costume for New Year’s Eve, in Twins gear for baseball season, and as Father Louis Hennepin during the annual festival named for the county’s founder.

She eventually added concrete blocks to Dino’s feet, she said, after people made attempts at stealing the landmark.

Her favorite is dressing Dino up for Christmas and planting a mailbox nearby for children to leave letters for Santa. The dinosaur would write each child back, sharing that Santa received their letters and giving them a Dino sticker.

Son Luke Merkl said his dad’s retirement plan was to sell the business. Now the family is deciding how to preserve Jim’s legacy while also honoring his wishes.

The family is considering the options. The city of Champlin has a right of first offer agreement with the owners if they decide to sell the property. The city’s Economic Development Authority, made up of City Council members, on Monday agreed to move forward with the process.

City officials would consider purchasing two properties, the station itself and another small building nearby to potentially incorporate them in future redevelopment plans. Hennepin County appraised the station, which sits on about two-tenths of an acre, at $271,000, while the other property is valued at $154,000.

Community Development Director Scott Schulte said the city taking over the site could make sense. The area across the highway has already undergone a massive transformation of the riverfront, with apartments, an event center, outdoor performance area and more.

Plus, he said, the city already owns land on the block. Schulte said it’s not yet been decided how the area could be redeveloped. As the city considers the property, officials would request an appraisal and environmental review.

The Merkl family said many customers have come in to say they hope the business doesn’t go away. Many on social media have voiced concerns that the landmark could be razed and want officials to find a way to preserve the site’s history, or at least save the dinosaur.

“We don’t want the dinosaur to leave Champlin,” Schulte said. “However we can work it into something, we’d like to maintain that. The value of having that iconic business there matters to us.”

At the station a retro, real neon “Sinclair” sign sits on the roof. Luke Merkl said his father considered it a “beacon” for anyone who might have had their car break down in the middle of the night.

He said the business would often stay open past midnight as his dad never turned anyone away.

“He wasn’t really profit driven. It was just about trying to help people out,” Luke Merkl said. “He was a good man and an honest man. People always trusted him because he’d give it to you straight.”

Along with pumping your gas for you, Champlin Sinclair will take on essentially any repair, Diana Merkl said, working on everything from classic cars and motorcycles to lawnmowers and snowmobiles. Kids would always leave with candy and dogs with a treat.

The station has become much more than a business over the years. Residents sit inside and chat for hours.

Jim Merkl, a motorcycle enthusiast who always read the newspaper, was known for cutting out articles and printing out the latest studies, leaving them out for customers to read so he could ask their opinions.

“He would sit here and philosophize with people. He was always reading the paper and he would get political ideas and kind of poke the bear sometimes,” Luke Merkl said with a laugh.

“He liked to create conversation,” Diana Merkl said.

Jim Merkl and his family would often go on motorcycle benefit rides and contribute to local fundraisers and events. Sober for years, Merkl for a time would also give residents rides home from the bar, and would tow their cars with him.

The owners are now taking their time to consider next steps as they grapple with their grief.

The family said they’re proud the business has turned into a local landmark, making the lists of roadside attractions to visit in Minnesota. But the heart of it, they said, will always be Jim.

“We called this his living room,” Diana Merkl said of the station. “He became alive here.”