City approves incentives for travel plaza, Whataburger, on I-45

FAIRFIELD, Texas (October 14, 2020) – This week, the Fairfield City Council approved incentives to bring a Truck Stops of America, a major travel plaza to the city.

The TA travel plaza will also include a 24-hour Whataburger restaurant and drive-thru. According to the developers, the plaza will be a major hub for TA operations on Interstate 45. The 19-acre travel center will have eight truck fueling lanes, more than 200 truck parking areas, more than 80 passenger vehicle spaces, and 20 fueling lanes for cars and pickups.

In addition, the $6 million project will create more than 70 jobs in the city. The developer and owner, Zippy J’s Brenham Holdings, estimate more than $5 million in annual taxable sales.

“This project is a major plus for our city,” Mayor Kenneth Hughes said. “Not only will additional jobs be created, but the city could receive an additional $100,000 in sales tax yearly.”

The council unanimously voted to approve a 10-year property tax abatement agreement with Zippy J’s Brenham Holdings, LLC. Based on an impact study completed by the Navarro College Small Business Development Center, the city could receive an estimated $2.4 million in net benefits over the next 10 years.

Zippy J’s, based in Kilgore, owns 23 community stores in East Texas. Dr. J.T. Roberts of Zippy J’s said the company is happy to bring a major travel center to the city.

“The City of Fairfield and David Fowler of the FEDC (Fairfield Economic Development Corporation) have been great to work with and we appreciate David and Nate Smith coming to Kilgore to meet with us to get this project off the ground,” Roberts said. “We are excited about doing business in Fairfield and we will be great citizens of the city.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021 with an anticipated opening in the summer of 2021.