Dirt is moving again in Bastrop County as SpaceX continues to expand its factory near Farm to Market Road 1209, about 30 miles east of Austin. The facility, which currently covers approximately 1.1 million square feet, could grow to around 1.6 million square feet with the latest expansion, according to the Austin Business Journal.
In February, construction crews were clearing land and starting vertical construction near the existing plant. Bastrop County officials are reviewing permits related to a project called “Project Echo Solar Warehouse,” a name previously associated with SpaceX developments. While final plans are still being determined, SpaceX has received approvals for stormwater drainage improvements necessary for the expansion.
A new parking garage is also under construction at the site’s opposite end. The planned structure will cover 50,000 square feet and accommodate more than 250 vehicles. Permits have been issued for most parts of the project except for the garage itself.
This effort follows a $280 million expansion announced last year, supported by a $17.3 million grant from Governor Greg Abbott through the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund. The funding is designated for building a semiconductor research and advanced packaging facility that is expected to create over 400 jobs. State officials say this addition would make it the largest printed circuit board and panel-level packaging facility in North America.
SpaceX’s Bastrop location manufactures Starlink kits and related hardware and reportedly employs at least 1,000 workers.
If completed as planned, the expanded complex would be similar in size to Tesla’s gigafactory in eastern Travis County and Samsung’s chip plants in Austin and Taylor.
SpaceX’s growth is part of broader activity by Elon Musk-affiliated companies in Bastrop County. Entities linked to The Boring Company, X (formerly Twitter), and other ventures now control nearly 700 acres in the area. These holdings include offices, housing units, a school, and residential development known as Snailbrook.
The rapid pace of development has raised concerns about traffic congestion, wastewater management, and environmental effects. State regulators have issued fines related to these issues.
