The San Marcos City Council voted Tuesday to approve economic incentives for the construction of a Buc-ee’s along I-35 between San Marcos and Kyle.
Under the deal, San Marcos would work with Hays County to give the company tax cuts for 15 years. In that time, the city expects to collect $5.9 million in property taxes and $3.2 million in net sales taxes from the store.
To some, Buc-ee's is merely a gas station; to others it's much closer to an amusement park. The beaver-themed chain has left its mark on Texas road-trippers.
"We've kind of become a destination,” Buc-ee's representative Stan Beard said in a City Council meeting last month. “It's as much of a unique place to stop in a city as a museum or a park."
In a presentation to council members during that meeting, officials said the proposed Buc-ee’s south of Yarrington Road would hire a minimum of 175 full-time employees with benefits to staff the 74,000-square-foot facility. It would have 120 gas pumps and up to 175 spaces for a third party to create electric vehicle charging spots.
"I'm excited about this," City Council member Mark Gleason said. “This is the kind of thing that really kind of puts you on a map a little bit.”
On Tuesday, Council Member Alyssa Garza said she received concerns from the community about how Buc-ee’s treats its employees, but other members of the council said federal regulations should be enough to ensure workers are treated well in San Marcos.
“You're always going to hear about the negatives and you're very seldom going to hear about the positives,” Gleason said.
Beard said in a statement to KUT that professionalism, friendliness, and attentiveness of employees is the reason why the franchise is so beloved by people.
"Working for Buc-ee’s is not easy," he said. "But for those many folks who can handle the task, it can lead to a wonderful career."
Buc-ee’s is looking to install a system to collect and store rainwater for use by the facility. City officials say it would be a first for the company. To address potential environmental concerns, city officials said, the station would not be built on any aquifer recharge zones.
Beard said construction will begin as soon as plans are approved.
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