Texas Border Business
Brownsville and Valley work together to get huge win for region
RIO GRANDE VALLEY (AUGUST 20, 2014) –The entire Rio Grande Valley region worked together to get Interstate 69. It also collaborated to land a University of Texas medical school campus. No small feats.
Now, following Brownsville and Cameron County’s lead, the Rio Grande Valley will be home to one of the nation’s most exciting economic development projects announced in years: SpaceX.
SpaceX will build a vertical rocket launch pad and control center to support 12 proposed commercial launches a year from the Boca Chica Beach area. Brownsville beat other bids from around the country to get the SpaceX facility. It’s expected to create hundreds of high-paying tech jobs and make an initial capital investment of about $85 million into the area.
But there’s no doubt that even though SpaceX operations will be based in Brownsville, the economic impact of SpaceX will be felt throughout the RGV and Texas, said Gov. Rick Perry and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“Isn’t it amazing what we can do when we all work together?” Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said at the media conference to announce the project. “It’s amazing what we can do when we don’t polarize each other, not just within our own community but within the Valley as well.”
The Brownsville Economic Development Council, the City of Brownsville, Cameron County, University of Texas-Brownsville, Brownsville and Point Isabel ISDs and state elected leaders such Sen. Eddie Lucio, Rep. Eddie Luico III and Rep. Rene Oliveira all played important roles – as did many others – in landing the launch pad.
“Brownsville and Cameron County deserve all the credit in the world for taking the lead and landing what will be a life-changing project,” said RGV Partnership CEO Julian Alvarez. “Their efforts will pay dividends for the entire region. It’s so important to have so many entities and people come together to achieve one goal.”
Gov. Rick Perry and his economic development staff played a critical role in the project, and other Valley entities have also stepped up to support Brownsville’s bid. The McAllen and Harlingen EDCs are finalizing financial packages for SpaceX. McAllen EDC CEO Keith Patridge told The Brownsville Herald the venture is truly regional.
“My hats off to Brownsville and Cameron County,” said Patridge. “This, I think, will create job opportunities and economic development opportunities for the whole Valley, but I think that it will create a new perception of those that don’t live here of exactly what the Valley is all about.”
SpaceX designs, manufacturers and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets, according to its website. State and local entities have offered SpaceX a financial incentives package worth over $20 million to bring the facility to Brownsville.
“Texas has been on the forefront of our nation’s space exploration efforts for decades, so it is fitting that SpaceX has chosen our state as they expand the frontiers of commercial space flight,” Gov. Perry said. “In addition to growing the aerospace industry in Texas, SpaceX’s facility will provide myriad opportunities for STEM education in South Texas, and inspire a new generation of Texas engineers and innovators.”
Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez on the effort: “Let us not forget the efforts of everyone involved in this project. Let us thank one another as a community.”
