Buc-ee’s is officially making a play for Greenwood’s Worthsville Road interchange, filing plans for a massive travel center at the southeast corner of East Worthsville Road and I-65 and asking the city to rezone about 80 acres to make it happen. The proposal calls for the chain’s trademark oversized convenience store, a broad fueling field and a large parking area that could significantly reshape how the interchange looks and functions. The Greenwood Advisory Plan Commission is scheduled to review the rezoning request Monday night, with the City Council holding the final say if commissioners send the project forward.
According to The Republic, the petition was filed by Buc-ee’s Ltd. and seeks rezoning of roughly 80.15 acres at that southeast corner. Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers told the paper the city and the company "have been working on this negotiation for about three years," a stretch that city officials say has covered access points, utility connections and local road improvements. The Republic reports that the filing includes a preliminary site plan and other supporting documents that will appear on the Plan Commission agenda.
How this got here
The Indianapolis Business Journal first flagged Buc-ee’s interest in the Greenwood area last November, reporting that the company was in late-stage talks to acquire land off East Worthsville Road near I-65 and had signed a letter of intent for key property. IBJ noted that the land purchase was expected to close in 2026 and that a development agreement with Greenwood, likely including road work, would be part of the overall project timeline.
What Buc-ee’s would look like
Buc-ee’s, based in Texas, has built a reputation on travel centers that are anything but modest. The company is known for very large buildings, a wide mix of merchandise and expansive made-to-order food counters that cater to both road-trippers and local regulars. According to Buc-ee’s, its stores are designed to handle heavy traffic volumes with broad retail aisles and extensive fueling capacity, a scale that aligns with what city staff and neighbors say is under discussion for the Worthsville interchange.
Permits, traffic and the interchange
The rezoning filing also includes materials tied to potential work at the I-65 and Worthsville Road interchange, and Buc-ee’s has sought state approval for changes to ramps and access points, The Republic reports. Any construction that touches interstate right-of-way must go through state review and permitting. According to INDOT, developers are required to obtain specific driveway, below-ground and encroachment permits when their projects affect state highways.
Timeline and approvals
The Greenwood Advisory Plan Commission is the first major stop for the proposal. The commission holds public hearings and makes recommendations to the Common Council on zoning changes, which means Monday’s meeting will help determine whether Buc-ee’s gets to the next round. City staff reports for Worthsville-area cases show reviewers typically focus on how a project fits the comprehensive plan, whether nearby properties are buffered, and how stormwater and traffic will be managed. Those same issues are likely to surface here. For examples of the kinds of conditions staff often suggests, see recent plan-commission materials from the City of Greenwood.
What neighbors and drivers can expect
City officials and experiences from other Buc-ee’s locations suggest Greenwood could see a combination of new local jobs and added tax revenue if the project moves ahead, along with a serious uptick in traffic, especially right after opening. Similar travel centers have prompted lane additions and intersection upgrades to keep cars moving. Coverage of other Midwest openings, such as the new Huber Heights site in Ohio, has highlighted both the economic buzz and the initial traffic headaches that come with a Buc-ee’s debut. Axios. For Greenwood, IBJ has previously reported that a build at Worthsville Road would likely involve widening the corridor and reworking at least one key intersection.
Legal and public-process note
If the Plan Commission ultimately recommends approval, the Greenwood Common Council will take the final vote on rezoning and can attach conditions, financial guarantees or infrastructure requirements before anything is locked in. City staff typically calls for measures that address buffering, stormwater controls and traffic mitigation, and any construction within interstate right-of-way will also need the appropriate permits from INDOT. For more detail on how the Plan Commission handles Worthsville-area cases and what staff has recommended in the past, review the supporting materials available from the City of Greenwood.
