Here's the latest on Buc-ee's plans to build one of the world's largest gas stations in Wisconsin

It’s been about a year since Buc-ee’s revealed its plans for its first Wisconsin gas station and convenience store, which would be among the largest in the world.

Since then, news has been relatively quiet, but that doesn’t mean excitement isn’t lingering among Wisconsin residents hoping to find out what all the buzz is about.

The planned site in DeForest, near Madison, is northwest of the Interstate 39/90/94 and County V interchange. There are still hopes construction will start this summer. When it opens, it'll become a major hub for travel commerce.

In September, the Journal Sentinel detailed exactly why there’s so much buzz around the company’s plans. As we wrote then, “Everything is bigger in Texas – Buc-ee’s is, too.”

So here’s what to know about Buc-ee’s as we near a potential construction start date:

So, what is Buc-ee’s again?

The Texas chain's stores are, first and foremost, massive. The site for the planned location is around 74,000 square feet and will have 631 parking spaces.

It'll be a contender for the largest gas station in the world, which already happens to also be a Buc-ee’s. Compared to ubiquitous Kwik Trip, Buc-ee’s is about the size of eight combined.

More than that, Buc-ee’s is known for its popular mascot, a beaver named Bucky; its wide range of snacks; and very clean bathrooms. Check out our prior breakdown of the store — from a native Texan, to boot — for the full rundown of what makes this place so popular.

It’s worth noting that the Wisconsin location is quite expensive, too, with a projected cost of $20 million.

Why is Buc-ee's planning a location in DeForest, Wisconsin?

While the company hasn’t explicitly said why it picked the interchange for its location, there are some details that offer solid hints.

It’s about 39 miles from the Wisconsin Dells, a very popular tourism hub in the state, and near the intersection of three major interstates. In fact, that interchange had an average daily traffic count of 59,000 cars in 2023, per the data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

When will the Buc-ee’s in Wisconsin open?

The Journal Sentinel first reported on Buc-ee’s Wisconsin plans in August 2023. A that time, the company hoped to receive final approval in the fall and had received a conditional use permit in March 2023.

As of April, the company had not yet submitted for site plan review and approval, said Alex Allon, DeForest's community development director, in an email.

As for when it would begin construction or open, that’s still up in the air. The company can “hopefully” start building this summer, said Jeff Nadalo, Buc-ee’s general counsel, in a March email. In April, he said there were no new updates on the project.

Could there be more Buc-ee's in Wisconsin?

We can’t give a clear answer here, either. However, Nadalo said they “are interested in additional locations in WI, though we do (not) have any confirmed projects to announce.”

Isn’t Kwik Trip competing with Buc-ee’s nearby?

Sort of, but not exactly. Let us explain.

In late March, the Journal Sentinel reported that Kwik Trip bought 151 acres in Dane County for a new distribution center. That building is planned for the southwest quadrant of the intersection between U.S. 51 and State 19 and cost Kwik Trip $14.1 million, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Sixty of those acres are planned to develop into a satellite distribution center and fleet services center, DeForest village administrator Bill Chang said. Between the two, the facilities will serve 350 Kwik Trip stores in southern Wisconsin and bring about 400 jobs to the area.

That project is scheduled to take at least a year and a half, with construction starting this spring or summer.

Now, back to how that plays into Buc-ee’s. The proposed Kwik Trip site is about 10 minutes away from the proposed Buc-ee's site. Chang said the plans by both companies should have zero effect on one another.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's the latest on Buc-ee's plans to build one of the world's largest gas stations in Wisconsin