Norwalk renews efforts to bring Buc-ee's after Urbandale rejection
Norwalk city leaders are renewing their bid to bring Buc-ee's to their town after Urbandale's city council rejected a land use plan change for the Texas-based convenience store chain.
"We've reached out and said, you know, Norwalk is still in play. We'd still love them to come here," Norwalk Mayor Tom Phillips said.
Norwalk first reached out to Buc-ee's over a year ago but lost hope when the chain chose Urbandale instead. Now, with Urbandale out of the picture, Norwalk is back in contention.
"We were sorry to hear that they were denied by Urbandale, but we're still looking forward to them coming here," Phillips said.
Phillips, a fan of Buc-ee's, wore a shirt with the store's logo while discussing the renewed effort.
"Buc-ee's is just a phenomenon. If you've been to a Buc-ee's, you go into the store. It's pretty incredible," he said.
Norwalk's proposal includes a site on the southern edge of town, at the corner of Filmore and I-35, currently a cornfield. The plan envisions a massive 24/7 convenience store with 100 gas pumps and 200 employees.
"I was surprised when they didn't [approve it]. I bet Buc-ee's was surprised, too," Phillips said, referring to Urbandale's decision.
Other metro suburbs, including Ankeny, Bondurant, and West Des Moines, are also expressing interest in attracting Buc-ee's.
"It would be a huge deal for us from an economic and tourism standpoint. It also is a big deal for quality of life and for offering people some other fun things to do in West Des Moines," said the mayor of West Des Moines, Russ Trimble.
Norwalk hopes its detailed proposal, submitted in the summer of 2025, gives it an advantage. The plan includes building a new interchange on I-35 to accommodate the store.
"They have a lot of traffic along Interstate 35. Their reputation. They'll get a lot of traffic coming down. It's a quick ten-minute drive from Interstate 80. So come on down and at least take a look and have the conversation," Phillips said.
Buc-ee's has not announced its next steps. The company did not respond to requests for comment.