Mansfield approves Buc-ee's development pact for 200 jobs — Buc-ee's Future Opening List

Mansfield City Council unanimously approved a development agreement for Buc-ee's future opening list on Tuesday night, clearing the way for a planned travel center near the I-71 and Ohio 39 interchange. The project would put the chain's second Ohio location in Mansfield and set up a facility built on 37.5 acres.

The agreement covers a 75,000-square-foot travel center expected to create 200 full-time jobs. Buc-ee's officials contacted Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry just over a year ago, and the deal also calls for a New Community Authority that will levy a 2-percent development charge on all non-fuel purchases when the store opens.

Mansfield City Council vote

Scott Ratcliff, Buc-ee's director of engineering, said after the meeting, "We are working with the local community to get a project that’s successful for everybody." He also said, "It’s a back-and-forth process. We want to be a good neighbor. We know that all ships rise, but there are concerns."

Ratcliff said Buc-ee's is trying to address transportation needs before opening. "That’s why we come out front and invest heavily in looking at the transportation needs and requirements and trying to address those as quickly and as thoroughly as possible so that everything is successful when we do open our door," he said.

I-71 and Ohio 39 plans

The Mansfield site was chosen in part because of traffic on I-71 connecting Columbus and Cleveland. Angela Janik, Buc-ee's project coordinator, said 90 percent of Buc-ee's customers come from 20 miles or farther away, and 65 to 68 percent come from more than 100 miles away.

Ratcliff described the chain's model as a stop between destinations. "This is in between two destinations. We’re looking for getting those people who have been on the road for an hour or two, giving them an opportunity for an oasis … a time to stop … to stretch their legs … enjoy some good food, refuel the tank, use the restroom, load up and continue on their journey," he said. "That’s our model and that’s what we’re looking to try to do and this was a good location. The community was very open and eager to work with us and that’s a plus."

Infrastructure and 2028 opening

Buc-ee's will pay for infrastructure estimated at around $15 million, including extension of city water and sewer lines and road improvements with three roundabouts on Ohio 39. The travel center could open as soon as the second quarter of 2028.

The first Ohio Buc-ee's opened in April along I-70 in Huber Heights near Dayton, and Buc-ee's has 55 Travel Centers open in 12 states. For Mansfield, the council vote moves the project from discussion to construction planning, with the road work and utility extensions now part of the public record for the site.