Amazon's North Andover Tax Bill Could Top $4 Million

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Amazon expects the local property tax bill for the distribution center it wants to build in North Andover to be between $3.3 million and $4.4 million. Those figures are between 3.3 percent and 4.3 percent of the $101.4 million in revenue the town is expecting to collect in fiscal year 2020, according to budget documents. The estimated tax payments were discussed by company officials with more than 50 residents who attended the first in a series of forums about the project leading up to a June 18 special town meeting.

A second public forum is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the VFW at 32 Park Street. At the special town meeting next month, Amazon will look for zoning changes so it can build its proposed facility at the Osgood Landing site. Key to the site's construction s a zoning change that would allow Amazon to build a 105-foot high building.

Town meeting will also need to approve a two-mile, $7 million sewer line extension. The town would pay about a third of those costs, with the rest coming from the state.

Officials also gave a preliminary timeline of the project. Clearing the site will take about a year after town meeting's approval, with construction taking another 15 to 18 months. That means the center won't handle its first package until late 2021 or early 2022.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, officials from Amazon and Hillwood Development Co., which is helping the retailer build 30 such facilities around the country, reiterated promises that the warehouse would eventually employ 1,500 people.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).