Construction On First Bucks Co. Tesla Dealership Begins

WARMINSTER, PA —Construction has begun on a new Tesla dealership and service center —the first in Bucks County —at 700 York Road.

After township supervisors approved the project in early March, Tesla representatives said construction at the old Pathmark property near Street Road would begin once the closing on the property happened in mid-March.

And so it has, township officials told Patch Thursday.

"It’s very exciting to see an abandoned property come back to life," Warminster Supervisor Mark McKee said. "It’s also rewarding to know that there are jobs being created there and I look forward to its completion."

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

"This might be the fastest land development agreement ever," Attorney Amee Farrell of Kaplin Stewart Attorneys at Law in Blue Bell, who represented Drake Motors Partners told supervisors at the March hearing.

She had said that Tesla wants the project completed and the dealership opened by year's end.

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.

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.

Township Supervisors Chairman Kenneth Hayes said he expects contractors to be responsible and adhere to all local and state ordinances during the construction phase.

Tesla would hire 30-40 employees for maintenance and sales. Representatives said those employees would be local hires.

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.