Plans for the highly anticipated Buc-ee’s travel center in Ocala went back to the Marion County Development Review Committee agenda this week as the project continues its steady path toward a tentative opening sometime in the next few years.
The technical plans for Ocala’s upcoming Buc-ee’s travel center are once again working their way through county channels, appearing on the latest agenda for the Marion County Development Review Committee.
The project is listed as part of the committee’s consent agenda for its regular meeting on Monday, June 8.
While there is no explicit or unusual reason stated for the plans returning to the committee, the routine listing follows a series of technical plan reviews and staff updates that were finalized by county departments on June 2.
The plan, prepared by engineering firm Kimley-Horn & Associates, outlines a massive, 74,000-square-foot main retail building for the destination center. The overall site layout features three large fuel canopies covering 120 fueling positions, eight diesel exhaust fluid positions, and a parking lot with 750 spaces.
The parking lot includes 21 handicap-accessible spots and 11 spaces designated for recreational vehicles and buses.
Local fans of the Texas-based chain will have to wait a couple more years to experience the travel center in person.
Recent national scheduling reports from the company indicate that the Ocala travel center is tentatively tracking for a grand opening between 2029 and 2031.
Despite the wait for the store itself, major infrastructure work to support the development is already actively moving forward.
Crews recently broke ground on the future NW 49th Street Interchange along Interstate 75, which will feature a diverging diamond interchange and new auxiliary highway lanes.
According to project summaries from the Florida Department of Transportation, the massive highway transit upgrades will cost nearly $100 million and are estimated to open around the same time as the travel center.
The future Buc-ee’s will sit on a 33-acre parcel located along NW 35th Street Road, roughly 1.75 miles south of W Highway 326.
The project previously received zoning approvals in early 2023 and later secured millions in state funding from the governor’s office to assist with the associated highway infrastructure.
Founded by Arch “Beaver” Aplin III in 1982 in Lake Jackson, Texas, The first Buc-ee’s was around 3,000-square-feet in size. When it is complete, the new Buc-ee’s in Ocala will feature approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space.
What are your thoughts on the ongoing progress and the 2029 timeline for the Ocala Buc-ee’s? Share your comments below or write a letter to the editor.