Tesla Speeds Along On Building 1st Bucks Co. Dealership

WARMINSTER, PA —Tesla is speeding along on the construction of its first dealership and service center in Bucks County.

After a short work stoppage in May to resolve some issueswith the township, Tesla is on a fast track to get its dealership open at the old Pathmark property on York Road.

"Tesla is moving at a good pace, construction is steady," Township Zoning Officer Mike Italia told Patch Tuesday.

Italia said the car company may be shooting for a late fall opening.

He said that residents should start to see the exterior of the building transform at a "noticeable pace," including the landscaping.

"From a building standpoint, they are going to want the structure as weather-tight as possible before it starts to cool down as we head into fall," Italia said.

He said the township is currently working with Tesla on its signage.

The Tesla dealership and repair garage service center could add 30-40 local jobs.

The Tesla dealership would be the first in Bucks County. Tesla has dealerships in King of Prussia, Devon, and Lawrence, N.J.

The project's cost is estimated between $6-8 million.

The 56,000-square-foot building sits on 9 acres across the street from Archbishop Wood High School and near Street Road. It had been considered by Lidl for another grocery store.

Its operating hours would be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and closed Sunday.

There would be a service area with space for two rows of parking, an alignment center, a storage area for tires, windshield wipers, fluids, and other auto supplies.

The front would feature a waiting area and showroom featuring two Tesla vehicles people can examine, a car wash area, and two loading areas for deliveries.

Service and repairs would happen in the building by appointment only. The repair area would have 18 lifts. Vehicles would be purchased online with appointments made for pickup.

Tesla, the car company led by CEO Elon Musk, models itself on clean energy and designs and manufactures electric vehicles, battery energy storage from home to grid-scale, solar panels, and solar roof tiles.

Drake Motors Partners representatives said that Tesla wants the project completed and the dealership opened by year's end.