SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has formally requested to turn its South Texas facility, known as Starbase, into an incorporated city. The company sent a letter to local officials on Thursday, asking for an election to move forward with the plan. Residents of the area, located at Boca Chica Beach near the Mexican border, submitted the petition, according to SpaceX.
In the letter, Kathryn Lueders, Starbase’s general manager, explained the need for the incorporation. “To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley,” she wrote.
This is not the first time Musk has mentioned the idea. In 2021, he hinted at creating “The city of Starbase, Texas” in a social media post. However, this marks the first official petition for incorporation, according to Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. “Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements, and then we’ll go from there," Treviño said.
Currently, more than 3,400 full-time employees and contractors work at Starbase, based on a local impact study. Musk also recently moved the headquarters of SpaceX and his social media company, X, from California to Texas earlier this year.
However, not everyone is on board with SpaceX’s expansion in the area. Some locals, including the group Save RGV, have expressed concerns over environmental issues. In July, the group filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, alleging pollution and environmental violations. SpaceX denied the claims, citing a state review that found no environmental risks and dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous.”
(Source: UNB)
BD-Pratidin English/Mazdud
