Bensalem joins regional rivals in fray for Amazon HQ2

Bensalem Township officials say they plan to pitch 675 acres of mostly undeveloped riverfront land in  Bucks County to Amazon.com Inc. for its planned second headquarters, the township said in a release Thursday.

With I-95, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and U.S. Route 1 all intersecting in Bensalem and two SEPTA Regional Rail lines running within its borders, the Philadelphia suburb is the "perfect location" to accommodate the e-commerce giant's desire for easy transportation at a new corporate center, Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo said in a letter to Amazon, according to the release.

Bensalem is also within 45 minutes of Philadelphia's international airport, satisfying another of Amazon's requirements, the release noted.

The site being pitched for the company is known as the Riverfront Revitalization District, an area zoned under township ordinances adopted in 2015 to promote uses including high-tech enterprise, offices, and manufacturing.

"I have been saying for decades that our riverfront is ripe for redevelopment," DiGirolamo said in the release. "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."

The announcement makes Bensalem the latest Philadelphia-area municipality, outside the city itself, to signal an intent to bid for the planned office complex, which Amazon has said will employ some 50,000 new full-time workers within millions of square feet of new office space.

Other bidders include Wilmington and Camden County.