GRETNA, Nebraska — Gretna is poised to become home to Nebraska’s first Buc-ee’s travel center — a prospect city officials expect will kickstart further tourism development in the area’s once-conflicted “good life district.”

The path to landing what’s been described as “the Disney World of gas stations” was paved Tuesday night when the Gretna City Council gave initial approval to a request to annex about 43 acres southeast of Interstate 80 and Highway 31.

Testimony during the meeting confirmed that a 74,000-square-foot Buc-ee’s store with 100 gas pumps would be built upon that tract, if all goes as planned. To access incentive benefits associated with a state-designated good life district, the project must also be within the city limits. 

“We are thrilled,” said Gretna Mayor Mike Evans, calling the project a major economic development milestone for the state, as well as Gretna and its good life district, which must meet certain growth benchmarks to continue to reap the state incentive associated with the designation.

“Buc-ee’s checks all the boxes the good life legislation was designed for — it generates significant tax revenue, increases our state’s tourism and creates hundreds of good paying local jobs,” Evans said.

Cheers and applause

Tom Heines, who owns the annexed land where Buc-ee’s would go, declined to comment, telling the Examiner he was bound by a nondisclosure agreement. But Evans said his team has been working with Buc-ee’s and on the deal since last summer, and that the property is under contract. 

He said the city is excited to wrap up. Still ahead are two more rounds of City Council approval for the annexation, which would become effective in March.

An economic development advisory committee also must approve a package that will contribute good life district funds to the development cost, said Evans. 

"Buc-ee's checks all the boxes the good life legislation was designed for — it generates significant tax revenue, increases our state’s tourism and creates hundreds of good paying local jobs." said Evans. 

As designed, the good life law originally approved in 2023 and twice refined created a major incentive: State sales taxes imposed within the districts are to be cut in half, from 5.5% to 2.75%. The idea is to recapture the difference to help finance unique entertainment and shopping districts that over time would draw more tourism to the state.

Evans predicts that a Buc-ee’s would draw travelers and others who then would shop elsewhere in the area. 

John Chamberlain, a project engineer representing Texas-based Buc-ee’s, did not identify the retailer at first but did so Tuesday night upon questioning from Gretna officials. His answer drew applause and shouts of approval from several audience members. One woman asked if Chamberlain had brought any “merch.”

“I know they’re kind of a hot item right now,” Evans, with a chuckle, said of Buc-ee’s.

“That’s a lot of brisket,” another official said when Chamberlain mentioned the store’s dimensions.

He said the Gretna Buc-ee’s would offer the typical huge variety of snacks, souvenirs and other features. The chain strives for a destination-like experience that some say attracts cult-like followings. 

At a Buc-ee’s opening of a location last year in Georgia, a U.S. congressman called  it the Disney World of gas stations. 

Boost to ‘good life district’

Evans expects a Buc-ee’s to boost Gretna’s good life district, one of five areas across the state that have been designated as such. The intent was to foster “transformational” economic developments that in the long run would be a boon to the state in the form of increased sales tax revenue.

Concerns arose, including whether developers would get too much and the state would not reap a fair return on its investment. Among the controversy was how more than $2.2 million in state sales tax revenue was lost as progress on the 2,000-acre Gretna district was stymied. 

Businessman Rod Yates — whose application created the Gretna good life district to include and surround his Nebraska Crossing mall centered at I-80 and Highway 31 — could not come to agreeable financial terms with the city on his mega youth-sports centric campus. He eventually changed directions. 

The City of Gretna is overseeing the district and ensuring that proposals within the district meet state guidelines.

Evans hopes Yates will still try and develop his vision, or at least a part of it. He would be treated like any other developer that would submit a proposal to the economic development advisory committee for review, Evans said. The City Council has final approval, he said.

Evans called the Buc-ee’s project an example “of what’s possible” in the good life district.

“It shows that when we compete and have the right tools, we can do some pretty cool stuff in this state.”

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