Bensalem To Bid For New Amazon Headquarters

BENSALEM, PA — Bensalem has announced plans to submit a bid to Amazon’s request for proposals as it seeks a location for its second corporate headquarters. The township is boasting 675 acres of largely undeveloped riverfront property that it believes would be an ideal location for the company's expansion.

Bensalem officials said they've sent an introductory letter to the company and are planning to submit a formal proposal as part of Amazon's RFP process. Amazon’s second headquarters is expected to create 50,000 new jobs and generate $5 billion in construction revenue.

Amazon has set specific criteria for the those applying for the second headquarters, including:

• Metropolitan areas with more than one million people
• Urban or suburban locations with a significant labor pool with expertise in computer software development and engineering, executive management, legal and accounting
• Direct access to mass transportation on site and real estate and infrastructure to support a minimum 500,000 square feet of space that can expand over time to support up to eight million square feet

Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo wrote in the introductory letter to Amazon that the township is the “perfect” location. He cited Bensalem's convenient access to major highways, like I-95, the PA Turnpike and Rt. 1, as well abundant public transportation and three airports in close proximity.

The proposed site is ripe for redevelopment, local officials say.

In 2015, the Bensalem Township Council adopted eight overlay ordinances that would additional uses on the 675-acre study area, including high-tech, office space and manufacturing.

Having Amazon locate in our township, particularly in this high opportunity area, would be a huge step forward for our community, our neighbors and everyone who lives or works in Bensalem," DiGirolamo said.

Patch file photo