📰News in Brief: Buc-ee’s May Be Coming To Richland County

By 1812Blockhouse

The Mansfield area’s chances of landing a Buc-ee’s got a boost Monday, with Mayor Jodie Perry saying that an annexation petition was filed last Friday for development at the Ohio 39 and I-71 interchange. If the project moves forward, it would be a major commercial addition for Richland County and could become Buc-ee’s second Ohio location.

Here are known details:

What’s happening

According to Perry, petitions for annexation were filed with the city, county, and Madison and Mifflin townships for development of a travel center at the Ohio 39 and I-71 interchange. She said the project has already been in the works for months with Buc-ee’s, though the company and local officials are still in the final stages of due diligence.

Perry described the project as far bigger than a typical gas station, restaurant, or retail store.

“It’s a destination and experience that will undoubtedly make a substantial impact on our community,” she wrote on Facebook.

She also pointed to the expected local upside, citing high-paying jobs, and new revenues.

What we know

• 📍 The proposed site is at the Ohio 39 and I-71 interchange.
• 🏗️ The project would be developed on more than 100 acres on the southeast side of the interchange.
• The land would be annexed through a Type 2 annexation.
• Under that structure, the townships would keep their revenues.
• Mansfield would receive income tax along with water and sewer revenues.
• Richland County would receive sales tax revenue.
• Perry said the structure is designed so that all sides benefit from the project. 🤝
• Earlier community discussion around the site included concerns about water and sewer capacity.
• Buc-ee’s has not yet listed Mansfield on its public locations page.
• The only Ohio Buc-ee’s with a confirmed opening date remains Huber Heights, scheduled to open on April 6, 2026.

By the numbers

As of July 2025, Buc-ee’s had 54 active locations across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, and Virginia. A Mansfield-area site would be the company’s second Ohio location.

The local angle

Perry’s post makes clear that local officials see this as a transformational project, not a routine commercial build. She also leaned into the consumer appeal that has made Buc-ee’s famous, mentioning the Wall of Jerky, pulled pork, and the chain’s well-known spice section. ❤️

A Buc-ee’s typically brings several hundred jobs, relatively high retail wages, and substantial new sales-tax revenue, but also heavier traffic, infrastructure demands, and competition for existing gas stations and convenience stores. Studies of other locations suggest around 200–250 permanent jobs per store, many starting in the mid-to-high teens per hour or above 20 dollars, with managers well into six figures, plus annual local tax receipts that can approach or exceed seven figures once the site matures.

On the public side, counties and towns often invest in road, interchange, and utility upgrades and sometimes offer tax abatements or rebates, effectively trading short‑term public costs and congestion for long‑term growth in the tax base and spinoff development such as hotels and restaurants. For a Mansfield‑area site at I‑71/39, the rough pattern would likely be: a noticeable construction bump, a few hundred ongoing jobs, new development pressure at the interchange, more traffic on 39 and the ramps, and a net fiscal gain for local governments if incentives and infrastructure costs stay proportionate to the extra tax revenue.

What’s next

The annexation filing makes the process more public, but Perry said the project is still in the final stages of due diligence. More details are likely to emerge as the review and approval process continues.

Read more and links for more info

WMFD -Buc-ee’s Eyes Mansfield: Travel Center Proposed at I-71 and Route 39

Richland Source – Buc-ee’s beaver bounds to Mansfield: Mega travel center set for I-71/Ohio 39

Buc-ee’s website:

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