MANSFIELD — A massive Buc-ee’s Travel Center is planned near the I-71/Ohio 39 interchange, local and company officials confirmed Monday afternoon.
The sprawling retail center could mean more than 200 new, full-time jobs in the city at a site that could encompass more than 70,000 square feet.
It would feature more than 100 gas pumps and unique offerings that have made the Texas-based company a favorite since it was founded 44 years ago.
Along with its famous beaver mascot, Buc-ee’s has competitive wages and benefits for its workers, according to published reports. The company is scheduled to open its first Ohio location on April 6 in Huber Heights, near Dayton.
The project has been months in the making and includes cooperative efforts among the city of Mansfield, Richland County officials and trustees in Madison and Mifflin Township.
It would be developed on land on the southeast side of the I-71/Ohio 39 interchange on more than 100 acres that would be annexed from the townships into the city.
“Buc-ee’s is excited about our partnership with the City of Mansfield and Richland County,” a Buc-ee’s spokesman said Monday in a statement.
“We still have some work to do before closing on the property, but both the city’s and county’s show of support is certainly a huge step in the right direction.”
A Buc-ee’s Travel Center is a one-of-a-kind destination experience, the company spokesperson said, “known for its pristine bathrooms, friendly staff and freshly prepared food.”
“Featuring in-house BBQ, baked goods and sweets, clothing, a unique collection of gifts and weekend getaway gear, Buc-ee’s has redefined the traditional pit stop,” the spokesperson said.
Like other Buc-ee’s locations, the local store would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop, the company said. Commercial tractor-trailers are prohibited.
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Texas, Buc-ee’s has 36 stores across the Lonestar State and 18 other locations throughout Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Mansfield, Richland County and townships would benefit
The vast majority of the land would be annexed from Madison Township, though a smaller section will come from Mifflin.
The company would hook into the city’s water and sewer lines, which are on the east side of I-71 near Sites Road.
Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said the company approached local officials about the project in the summer of 2025. The plan is for “Type 2” annexation, which leaves the land in the respective townships.
“The townships will still get the property taxes. Obviously, the county will get the sales tax, which should be pretty significant. And then, from the city’s perspective, those payroll taxes will come to Mansfield,” she said.
“It’s really an ideal opportunity for everyone,” Perry said.
“We’re taking the next steps in all of the due diligence on this. Everything is not completely set yet, but we’re getting towards the end of that process at this point. Obviously, things become more public at this stage,” the mayor said.
Mifflin Township trustees are expected to consider the annexation Monday evening. The Richland County Board of Commissioners are scheduled to “acknowledge” the annexation request on Tuesday morning. Madison Township trustees could vote on it at their meeting March 16.
According to the county commissioners’ agenda for Tuesday, the request is for 110.757 acres from from Madison Township and 1.781 acres from Mifflin Township.
Mansfield City Council could approve it March 17. It would then go back to county commissioners for approval. Once that is done, the city must wait 60 days before local lawmakers could make it official.
The company plans to purchase the land once the annexation is complete and the city determines proper zoning for the development.
It would be first development at I-71/Ohio 39
It would be the first commercial development at the I-71/Ohio 39 interchange since it was built by the Ohio Department of Transportation more than two decades ago.
Richland County Commissioner Tony Vero said Monday it appears trustees in both townships are on board with the project.
“Yes, we have had conversations with the townships. You never want to say anything is a foregone conclusion, but we’re expecting positive news that both townships will consent to the annexation,” Vero said.
City of Mansfield engineer Bob Bianchi said ODOT would be doing upgrades to the interchange due to the amount of traffic a new Buc-ee’s would generate.
“They will be hooking into our city utilities,” Bianchi said, including a 16-inch water main and a 10-inch sanitary sewer line. A tunnel for those lines would pass beneath I-71, he said.
Perry said the city and company would likely develop an agreement in April, “which will spell out a lot of those specifics, who’s doing what and how all of that will work.
“But they’ve been very friendly to work with,” she said. “They have really bent over backwards to work with us. The things that we’ve asked them to do, they have done very willingly, so it’s very exciting.”
New Buc-ee’s Travel Center would mean millions in annual new payroll
The new travel center would generate millions of new dollars in annual local payroll, officials said.
“The numbers they generate … they sound a lot more like a manufacturer than a retail store,” said the mayor, who also credited Barrett Thomas, senior director of economic development for the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
Perry said the Buc-ee’s Travel Center would likely spur additional development at the interchange.
“I think this will be a catalyst project. When you see Buc-ee’s Travel Centers, they’re very rarely alone at an interchange. If they are, they usually are just getting started.
“So, we do anticipate … there is nothing else planned at the moment … but we do anticipate that as this gets going, others will start to look at that interchange because the amount of cars that they bring in in a year is just incredible,” Perry said.
If all goes has planned, construction could begin later this year, construction is expected to take 15 to 18 months once it begins.
“I think they’re interested in getting it open more quickly than not,” the mayor said.
Third positive local economic news in a week
It’s the third positive economic development news in the last several days for the city.
It comes on the heels of a planned, $25 million downtown redevelopment project between the Richland County Foundation and Windsor Companies, and Newman Technology’s scheduled $74 million expansion on the city’s north side.
“Nothing like this happens overnight,” said Perry, who spent a decade leading the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development before taking office in January 2024.
“There’s been a lot of setup for a long time. Obviously, this project … we’re only talking months, but we have spent years making sure we have strong local relationships.
“There are parts of the state where annexations are not friendly, where they’re not well received. There are places where you can run into all sorts of issues or where council doesn’t understand economic development and the importance of it.
“I think a lot of (those relationships have been built) over time. So now we’re here and we can start executing on those.
“I’ve been saying this for a while. It feels good now that people are starting to see it come to fruition. We’re getting calls from developers on a regular basis, and it’s not just Mansfield, it’s around the county,” Perry said.
Buc-ee’s, founded in 1982 by Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, has grown from a single store in Clute, Texas, to over 50 locations across the South and Midwest.
The chain also boasts multiple records. Its Luling, Texas, store is the largest convenience store in the world at 75,593 square feet and The world’s longest car wash checks in at 255 feet of conveyor.