The battle for Buc-ee’s bragging rights might soon shift from Texas to the Treasure Coast. A planned Buc-ee’s just north of Fort Pierce would, if built as proposed, become the chain’s largest store yet: roughly 76,000 square feet of travel center sprawl, with more than 120 fuel pumps, around 18 EV chargers and hundreds of parking spaces at the I-95 and Indrio Road interchange. That footprint would edge past the super-sized Buc-ee’s in Luling, Texas and turn a routine highway pit stop into a regional magnet for road-trippers. For now, county staff and state reviewers are still combing through revised site plans and permit items, so the project is not a done deal. If approvals line up, construction timelines put opening in the latter half of the decade, and drivers could see traffic changes at the exit well before the doors actually open.
Local reporting lays out the numbers in detail. The Fort Pierce plan is pitched at roughly 76,245 square feet and includes 120 gas pumps, 18 electric vehicle charging stations and more than 700 parking spaces, according to Sebastian Daily. The site, near the I-95 and Indrio Road interchange northwest of Fort Pierce, was the subject of resubmitted site plans and a fresh building-permit filing late last year, the outlet reports.
How It Would Stack Up To Texas
In the current pecking order, the Luling, Texas Buc-ee’s, rebuilt and expanded in 2024, holds the title as the chain’s largest at about 75,593 square feet. That figure, and the recent back-and-forth over which Buc-ee’s can claim “biggest in the chain,” is documented by the Houston Chronicle, which notes that the crown has shifted between locations in recent years.
Permits, Timeline And Next Steps
Coverage on the Treasure Coast says the state has already signed off on key elements of the Fort Pierce proposal and that county staff have reviewed revised plans. Outstanding items still on the checklist include utility confirmations such as approval for a grease trap, according to TCPalm. Local reporting and county sources estimate construction will take roughly 18 to 24 months once permits are final, which is why some timelines point to late 2027 or early 2028 for opening.
Traffic, Jobs And Local Reaction
On the ground, officials and neighbors are already zeroing in on traffic. The proposal includes off-site road improvements and modified access points intended to handle large volumes of visitors, and county spokespeople say the project must clear multiple layers of review before it gets final approval, WPTV reported. Supporters argue that Buc-ee’s will bring jobs and pump fresh tourism dollars into the area, while some nearby residents are bracing for congestion and noise around the Indrio Road exit if the travel center becomes the roadside attraction many expect.
For its part, Buc-ee’s did not provide new comment on the Fort Pierce plan when contacted, and MySA notes that company spokespeople have declined to confirm the final square footage. For anyone tracking whether Fort Pierce really will dethrone Luling, the clearest signals in the coming months will be county permit filings and any final sign-offs from state transportation and utility agencies.
