Love's Announces Plan For Glenwood 'Travel Stop'

Love’s is coming to Mills County. The Oklahoma-based Love’s Travel Stop and Country Store is in final negotiations to purchase a parcel of land along Highway 34 and 188th Street to build a truck and travel stop.

Alex Fuller, real estate project manager for Love’s, publicly unveiled the company’s plans for the 15.3- acre plot of land at the Mills County Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting May 24. Since the property being purchased is currently zoned for a truck stop, the company asked for and was granted a conditional use permit to add “travel stop” to the zoning regulation.

Love’s expects to close on the property purchase in July with a planned Spring 2017 groundbreaking to follow. Founded in 1964, Love’s is a nationally-known truck and travel stop with more than 370 locations in 40 states. The company’s two closest locations along Interstate 29 are in Sioux City and St. Joseph, Mo., and both, according to Fuller, will closely resemble the Mills County stop.

Of the 15.3 acres of land Love’s plans to purchase, eight acres will be developed and paved. The truck stop will feature a convenience store, gift shop and restaurant and have 12 automobile gas pumps, six diesel pumps, 50 truck parking spots and 70 car parking spots.

The cost of the project is expected to exceed $8 million, according to Fuller.
Fuller said the Mills County site’s position near a major transportation hub along Interstate 29 and Highway 34 and existing infrastructure and road accessibility in the area made it an attractive location.

“We felt there was a bunch of good traffic there, both automobiles and trucks coming right by that intersection,” Fuller said. “The water, the sewer, the roads all being there on the site, that was definitely something that made it appealing. The overall area has great visibility.”

Construction of the center will include substantial paving work and some alterations to the existing access road, including a widening of 188th street to allow for right turns off Highway 34. Fuller said the roads project is awaiting final approval by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Barring unforeseen complications, Love’s is expected to begin construction next March with a 200-220 day construction timeline.

Larry Winum, president of the Mills County Economic Development Foundation, said the Love’s project has been in the works for more than six months. The foundation, according to Winum, has served as facilitator between Love’s, the county, the IDOT and the landowner.

“We’re excited,” Winum said. “Its always been a part of the plan out there (near the Highway 34 bridge) to get some decent businesses to move in to the area and help our tax base. And for all indications, Love’s appears to be a good corporate citizen.”

Fuller said the company has current plans to seek tax increment financing (TIF) from the county.   

Winum said the Interstate 29 and Highway 34 area, since the 2014 opening of the U.S. Highway 34 Bridge to Sarpy County, Neb., has already exceeded daily traffic expectations. He thinks those numbers and the addition of the Love’s travel center can serve as a catalyst for more businesses to consider new construction in the area.

“That’s the goal,” he said. “We’ve had a few hotel crews come in and kick the tires, we’ve had other entities, warehousing and logistics and distribution center type folks, looking at that area but nothing firm like we feel like the Love’s is. I feel like having the Love’s locate there will certainly be an enticement that could generate interest from other entities.

“I don’t think people realize when companies like Love’s come in, they do pretty rigorous diligence. They wouldn’t be locating here if they didn’t think the traffic worked.”