Amazon on Monday announced its intent to construct a data center in Falls Township as part of a larger plan to establish multiple innovation campuses throughout the state, which would create 1,250 jobs.
In all, the e-commerce giant plans to invest $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand cloud computing infrastructure and advance AI innovation. Locally, Amazon plans to build an innovation campus on a portion of the sprawling 1,800-acre Keystone Trade Center, which is being redeveloped by NorthPoint Development.
“Falls Township is thrilled to be at the forefront of this exciting engine of innovation—powering and strengthening artificial intelligence globally,” Falls Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence said. “The creation of so many high-skilled career opportunities puts Falls Township and Bucks County in a robust position for further economic development opportunities.”
Monday’s announcement comes on the heels of a shift in NorthPoint Development’s plan for the Keystone Trade Center. In March the Falls Supervisors approved two preliminary and final land development plans, modifying previous plans for a 1 million-square-foot distribution center for its sixth building, located at 1 Ben Fairless Drive; and more than 3 million square feet of warehousing at 700 S. Port Road for phase two of the multi-tiered project. Under the revised land development plans, building six of the NorthPoint project will be modified to become a data center. The four different distribution centers that had been eyed for the 247-acre parcel have shifted to 10 different structures ranging from 112,000 square feet to 217,000 square feet, totaling more than 2 million square feet of a “digital infrastructure campus,” according to NorthPoint attorney Mike Meginniss. Buildings will be one or two stories tall, he said.
In addition to Falls Township, Amazon announced plans to construct data center infrastructure in Salem Township and said multiple additional Pennsylvania communities are under consideration.
The new high-skilled jobs will range from data center engineers and network specialists, to engineering operations managers, security specialists, and many more technical roles, according to Amazon. In addition to these direct positions, this planned investment is expected to support thousands of local construction jobs and positions in the data center supply chain, as well as other jobs in the local community.
"Pennsylvania is competing again—and I'm proud to announce that with Amazon's commitment of at least $20 billion to build new state-of-the-art data center campuses across our Commonwealth, we have secured the largest private sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania," said Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. "This initial investment from Amazon will create thousands of good-paying, stable jobs as Pennsylvania workers build, maintain, and operate the first two data center campuses in Luzerne County and Bucks County. Our team worked closely with local leaders and Amazon to land this deal, and we continue to be actively engaged on securing additional sites in Pennsylvania—helping them secure local support, developing the infrastructure needed to support more data centers, and ensuring our permitting processes move quickly and efficiently. With this historic announcement, we’re creating opportunity for our workers, generating new revenue for our local communities, and ensuring the future of AI runs right through Pennsylvania."
The Falls Township Supervisors began reviewing plans for various tiers of the extensive NorthPoint Development project in 2020.
In all, NorthPoint intends to build 20 or more state-of-the-art industrial warehouse buildings, distribution centers and data centers totaling 10 million square feet, with the potential of 15 million square feet.
Officials have said that once complete, the redevelopment will create as many as 14,000 new jobs.
“Falls Township is committed to seeing the former U.S. Steel property restored to its heyday as a major employer in the community,” Dence said. “This commitment from Amazon positions the township well for an influx of high-paying jobs.”
NorthPoint Development will invest $1.5 billion in the transformation of the site. In all, NorthPoint will spend an estimated $40 million to $45 million to remediate the site.
"Amazon's multi-billion-dollar investment in Pennsylvania reinforces our dedication to advancing AI innovation while creating lasting economic opportunities in the state," said David Zapolsky, Amazon's chief global affairs and legal officer. "By expanding our cloud computing infrastructure, we're investing in Pennsylvania's future through new jobs, workforce development programs, and community initiatives. We look forward to helping drive the next generation of technology innovation, while delivering meaningful benefits for Pennsylvania residents."
These cloud computing and AI innovation campuses join Amazon’s growing operations footprint across the Commonwealth that now includes 23 fulfillment and sortation centers and 20 last-mile delivery stations. Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $26 billion in Pennsylvania, including infrastructure and compensation to employees, and has created more than 27,000 direct jobs across the state. These investments support an additional 37,100 indirect jobs, in fields like construction and professional services, and have contributed more than $26 billion to the Pennsylvania GDP on top of the company’s direct investments.
