Iowa’s Buc-ee’s rumors have picked up a new participant. Just over two weeks after our report on the rejected Urbandale Buc-ee’s proposal, a business group in Bondurant has launched its own public pitch to the Texas travel-center chain.
The campaign gives Buc-ee’s another invitation in the Des Moines area, but it is not an announced store. The chamber’s public pitch did not identify a Bondurant property, confirmed company talks or a development filing.
Bondurant joins Iowa’s Buc-ee’s chase
On October 18, the Bondurant Area Chamber of Commerce posted a promotional video saying the community had “shot our shot” and could be a strong match for Buc-ee’s. The local campaign invites the company to take a closer look.
That puts Bondurant alongside several other central Iowa communities that raised their hands after the Urbandale plan failed. Norwalk renewed contact with Buc-ee’s, while West Des Moines Mayor Russ Trimble encouraged residents to support his city’s effort. Colfax officials also publicly pitched their community.
The enthusiasm is real, but these efforts remain campaigns. A mayor, chamber or petition can get Buc-ee’s attention, but the company would still need to select land, negotiate a purchase and pursue local zoning and site-plan approvals.
Why the Urbandale rejection changed the conversation
Urbandale had the most concrete Iowa proposal so far. Buc-ee’s representatives sought a land-use change for roughly 20 acres near Northwest 100th Street and Northpark Drive, close to Interstate 35/80.
The proposed travel center was expected to span about 74,000 square feet and employ more than 200 people. City Council members rejected the requested comprehensive-plan amendment on September 1 after raising concerns about traffic and whether the destination-scale project fit the area.
Afterward, Buc-ee’s real estate director Stan Beard said the company would assess other opportunities in Iowa without setting a timetable. That statement left the door open, but it did not turn any of the communities now campaigning into an official finalist.
Is Buc-ee’s coming to Iowa?
There is still no confirmed Iowa Buc-ee’s. Urbandale’s original plan is blocked in its current form, and Bondurant, Norwalk, West Des Moines and Colfax do not have announced Buc-ee’s projects.
What has changed is the breadth of documented local interest. Iowa has moved beyond general fan petitions to a company-backed proposal that reached a city council, followed by multiple communities openly competing for the next conversation.
For now, Bondurant’s pitch keeps the rumors alive rather than settling them. The next meaningful step would be confirmation from Buc-ee’s, a specific replacement property or a new filing with local planners.
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