I am not sure people realize the impact SpaceX is having in Cameron County

[Elderberry]

Rio Grande Guardian by Steve Taylor -March 19, 2022   

Ramirez: I am not sure people realize the impact SpaceX is having in Cameron County

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The people of Cameron County probably do not realize how big an economic impact SpaceX is having on the area.

This is the view of Helen Ramirez, deputy city manager for Brownsville and executive director of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.

In a Zoom interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, Ramirez said she has a job to do dispelling rumors about the space exploration company. “It call it myth busters,” she said.

“In 2021, they (SpaceX) had employed 1,600 direct employees. They envision that going up 30 percent. If you take into consideration Cameron County, the amount of jobs and contract labor, we are really talking above over 6,000 jobs within Brownsville and Cameron County. That is our largest employer here.”

As for direct investment, SpaceX has spent over $430 million locally, Ramirez explained. She said that money has gone on operations, payroll, construction, and capital expenditure.

“So, when a company spends that much money they are really going to think long and hard before changing something,” Ramirez said, in response to speculation that SpaceX might move its operations from Boca Chica to Florida if it does not get environmental clearances from the federal government.

“Geographically, we have a very strong advantage because it (SpaceX) has 40 percent better efficiencies with launches from here than at any other place in the nation. That is a big advantage of being here.”

More: https://riograndeguardian.com/ramirez-i-am-not-sure-people-realize-the-impact-spacex-is-having-in-cameron-county/

[catfish1957]

Surprised Musk is taking his site to such a hurricane prone area. Maybe his design specs will withstand an occasional Cat 3- 5 storm.

Otherwise, it will be interesting how it impacts property values. 

I remember about 30 or 40 years ago, there was a rumour about construction of a mid-america Disney Park half way between Houston and Beaumont.  Property values immediately shot up like 50-75% on speculators.

Of course it didn't pan out, and I'd better there were plenty that lost a bundle in that little mishap.

[Elderberry]

There are not many available areas to build launch facilities for low inclination orbit launches.

[Elderberry]

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/02/focus-florida-east-coast-starship/

A significant construction effort has begun in Florida to create a home port for Starship on the East Coast. With a launch facility at the historic 39A, potentially followed by pads at LC-49, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is likely to become the flagship launch site for Starship in the coming years,  supplemented by Starbase in Texas and ocean launch platforms.