North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s is already under construction in Mebane, and now the state could be getting a second one.
Buc-ee’s says it is under contract to purchase about 34 acres near Interstate 95 in northern Rocky Mount. City officials have confirmed that a letter announcing the plan is genuine, and WRAL reports that the company is preparing to seek rezoning for the property.
A second North Carolina store takes shape
The proposed site sits in the Gold Rock area, in the southwestern quadrant of the Highway 4, also known as Halifax Road, interchange with I-95. That would put the travel center directly on one of the East Coast’s busiest north-south routes.
Stan Beard, Buc-ee’s director of real estate and development, said in the company letter that Buc-ee’s is working with Rocky Mount on a plan for the property. The company expects its rezoning request to go before the Rocky Mount Planning Board on November 10.
Before that review, Buc-ee’s plans to hold an informal neighborhood meeting at 6 p.m. on October 22 at the Frederick E. Turnage Municipal Building. The meeting will give residents a chance to learn more and ask questions about the proposal.
What changed since the last North Carolina update
When the state’s first Buc-ee’s was last covered, Mebane was the only confirmed North Carolina project. Communities along I-95 looked like a logical fit for another store, but Buc-ee’s had not publicly identified land or started a local approval process.
That is the key change now. The Rocky Mount proposal is tied to a specific 34-acre property, a land contract and an expected rezoning review. It is more than a general expansion rumor, although it has not reached the construction stage.
The Mebane store remains under construction near the I-40/I-85 interchange. Buc-ee’s currently lists 2028 as its estimated opening year, with the usual warning that opening dates can change.
Several steps still remain
A land contract does not mean the purchase has closed, and a rezoning request is not the same as approval. The planning board has not yet heard the case, construction has not begun, and Buc-ee’s has not announced a projected opening year for Rocky Mount.
Any opening timeline would depend on rezoning, site-plan review, permits, road and utility work, construction, hiring and final inspections, so patience will be part of the process.
Still, the proposal gives North Carolina drivers something concrete to watch. If it advances through the city’s review process, the state could eventually have Buc-ee’s locations serving two very different interstate corridors: I-40/I-85 through the center of North Carolina and I-95 in the east.
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