Since the U.S. presidential elections, billionaire businessman Elon Musk has often been in the headlines. This time, he is in the spotlight for a coastal residential project he plans to develop in Texas. Reports suggest that Musk is working on a plan to build a dedicated city for SpaceX employees near the SpaceX launch site in Texas. In recent years, Musk has expanded his companies in Texas, moving them from California and establishing multiple offices, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities in various parts of the state.
In fact, since SpaceX began operations on the Texas coast a decade ago, Musk’s company has created thousands of jobs around the Mexico border. The company has also launched many rockets from this center and built several new homes in the area known as Starbase. Now, Musk plans to build an entire city.
What is Starbase?
Starbase will be a coastal city, with the name proposed by Elon Musk. It will be centered around the SpaceX rocket launch site and is based on that concept. Musk believes this area will help SpaceX’s operations, as it will provide employees with a dedicated city close to their workplace, where all necessary amenities will be available. According to a report released earlier this year by Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., more than 3,400 SpaceX employees and contractors currently work at the Starbase site.
Why Starbase and What’s the Objective?
Musk has been working on the idea of transforming the SpaceX launch site into a city for several years. In 2021, SpaceX first reached out to local officials in Texas’ Cameron County about this plan. Prior to that, the company had requested a name change for the area for mail delivery purposes. This application is still pending with federal agencies, but now Musk has plans to establish an entire city in the coastal area. He hopes this move will bring significant benefits. According to a report by The New York Times, Starbase, as a city, would become eligible for state and federal grants. Additionally, the city would be able to gain certain legal exemptions and could have the power to seize property.
Where is Starbase in Texas?
Starbase is located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, in Cameron County, along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It is just off Highway 4 and surrounds the small town of Boca Chica, which was previously known as Copernicus Shores. Nearby major cities and tourist destinations include Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville, South Padre Island, and Port Isabel.
It’s important to note that Elon Musk began shifting his companies to Texas in 2020, attracted by the business-friendly environment. In July of the same year, Musk announced that both SpaceX and the social media platform X would move their offices from California to Texas. In September, Musk relocated X’s headquarters from San Francisco to Bastrop, Texas, a place that had been home to the company for over a decade. In 2021, Tesla also moved its headquarters to Texas, though its manufacturing and engineering units remain in California.