An approval process for a Buc-ee’s location in Greenwood will begin June 22. The popular travel center chain, originally from Texas, is known for its large stores, clean restrooms and beaver mascot.
The Greenwood Buc-ee’s will be the first for Indiana. Last year Wawa, another popular travel stop chain not from the Midwest, began opening 70 locations Indiana within five to eight years.
On June 22, the Greenwood Plan Commission will first hear the proposal to rezone the 80 acres of vacant land slated for Buc-ee’s development. The lot is located on the southeast corner of Interstate 65 and Worthsville Road. The development itself will take up 37 acres of land, including a 74,000-square-foot travel center, 120 gas pumps and EV charging stations.
However, there will be likely delays until July 13 as developers edit the proposal to more closely align with the Greenwood Comprehensive Plan. The current proposal seeks to rezone the land as industrial, but the comprehensive plan calls for “destination commercial, hospitality, office, mixed-use and mixed-density residential, single-family housing and trails/parks.” Planning commission staff are worried the rezoning could lead to industrial development if the travel center doesn’t happen. They advised developers to change the proposal to commercial zoning. Overall, planning commission staff comments on the proposal show consensus that the Buc-ee’s “leverages interstate visibility and access” and expands Greenwood’s commercial tax base and employment opportunities.
The land-use proposal also includes plans to connect Buc-ee’s with the Greenwood trail system, improve streets and build green areas. However, planning commission staff recommended the plan be edited to include more street-side landscaping.
Residents interested in public comment can attend planning commission meetings every second and fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Greenwood City Center.
Lucy Tobier is the politics reporting intern for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at lucy.tobier@indystar.com or on X at @TobierLucy
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beaver Nuggets, brisket and those famous restrooms could be coming to Indiana.
Reporting by Lucy Tobier, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Lucy Tobier, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
