Billerica, Tewksbury and Lowell Want In On Amazon Headquarters Lottery

TEWKSBURY, MA -- The crowded field of cities and regions that want to host Amazon's second global headquarters includes at least 10 bids from Massachusetts, including a pitch for a piece of land in Billerica that also includes extends into Tewksbury and a small part of Lowell. First round proposals are due Thursday, and Amazon hopes to begin construction in 2018 on a project that could ultimately mean 50,000 jobs and $5 billion investment in the region.

The Billerica proposal is off of Baker Avenue in the norther section of that down, and extends into Tewksbury and Lowell. It's selling points include easy access to the commuter rail, major highways and an international airport. It also meets the square footage parameters laid out by Amazon. While officials say a winning proposal would radically change life in the area, they also admit their proposal faces steep odds.

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"It's a long shot, but it's certainly worth everyone's time to have the conversation," Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, told the Lowell Sun. "It's probably unlikely, but you don't know if you don't try."

Amazon has asked for just one bid per metro area, but the Baker administration seems willing to support every effort out of Massachusetts. There's a bid from Boston, Somerville and Cambridge, of course. But a coalition of towns from the Merrimack Valley are going all-in, as are New Bedford and Fall River.

"The best thing we can do with respect to Amazon is to give them what I would describe as a menu of options," Gov. Charles Baker told reporters last week. "Picking one site would be a huge mistake. Because if you pick one site, what you’re basically saying is, 'It’s here or nowhere.'"

For more on this story, see the Lowell Sun.

Patch file photo.

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