OAK CREEK, Wis. — Plans for a Buc-ee's chain in Oak Creek will move forward after the Common Council voted to rezone the proposed site.
Tuesday night's vote came after a contentious public hearing in which more than a dozen neighbors raised concerns including increased traffic, safety, light pollution, and possible environmental impacts.
“Twenty-two years ago, my wife and I moved to this neighborhood out of all the possible places we could have moved to in Wisconsin for quality life,” resident Robert Foster said during the public hearing. “There’s nothing about a 24-hour, well-lit, highly visited center that screams quality of life to me or my wife.”
One area resident, Sean Marshall of South Milwaukee, spoke in favor of the convenience store.
Members of the Common Council noted that the purpose of the meeting was only for the rezoning of the property. As the planning phase moves forward, more meetings will be held.
The Council voted 5-1 in favor of the rezoning.
Watch: Oak Creek Buc-ee's project moves forward despite neighbors' concerns
If the plans move forward as scheduled, Buc-ee's will open in Oak Creek in early 2027. It will be located at southwest corner of I-94 and Elm Road.
It will be open 24/7 and will feature a nearly-74,000 square ft. convenience store and fueling plaza, with 120 gas pumps and EV charging.
The Oak Creek location will likely be the first of its chain in Wisconsin; however, there is also a site planned in DeForest. The next closest locations are in Kentucky and Missouri.
Information provided by Buc-ee’s shows that 4,000 to 8,000 cars are expected to visit the store per day, with 100,000 visitors per week. It’s estimated that 5 million visitors will enter the store each year, according to the data.
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