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SpaceX is set to expand its presence in Central Texas with an $8 million project to enlarge its Bastrop facility, as per state filings.

The 80,000-square-foot addition, which is scheduled to begin construction on September 24 and wrap in early January 2026, was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and initially reported by My San Antonio.

New investment

Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures. The upcoming expansion will extend SpaceX’s office at 858 FM 1209, near Starlink’s operations and The Boring Company’s facilities. Just down the road, X is housed in the Hyperloop Plaza at 865 FM 1209.

SpaceX’s expansion reflects a steady buildup of resources in Bastrop since the private space firm established its presence in the area. The addition was praised by Tesla Governor Greg Abbott, who wrote on X that the expansion will “bring more jobs, innovations and will strengthen Starlink’s impact worldwide.”

State support

In March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $17.3 million state grant to SpaceX for an “expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop.” The project is expected to create more than 400 new jobs and generate over $280 million in capital investment.

Following the grant award, the Texas Governor also noted that SpaceX’s facility would be growing by 1 million square feet across three years to boost its Starlink program. SpaceX’s Starlink division is among the company’s fastest-growing segments, with the satellite internet system connecting over 6 million users and counting worldwide.

Recent reports have also indicated that Starlink has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses. This should pave the way for Starlink to provide 5G coverage worldwide, even in remote areas.

Bastrop City Council will host a public hearing about North End Prairie—a proposed 42-home, 4-acre development—during a special meeting Aug. 19.

It will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Bastrop Convention Center, 1408 Chestnut St. in Bastrop.

“The public hearing is being held in response to an appeal made by the applicant,” city officials said in a statement posted to social media.

The background

In early March, developers of North End Prairie—located south of Linden Street, east of Hill Street, west of Pecan Street and North of Buchanan Street—submitted a vesting determination, also known as a “grandfathering request.”

Five items were requested to be vested, including:

Officials, who reviewed applicable regulations and sought guidance from legal counsel, determined that additional dwelling units, tree protections and tree survey could be vested, while parking and flood protection could not, according to city documents.

The applicant received notice March 28 and appealed the decision July 23, according to city documents.

Some context

Jodie Smith, who owns the property with her husband Tom Leibowitz, previously highlighted that the disagreement with city officials largely stems from whether Article 1.20 of the Bastrop Municipal Code, which the city amended earlier this year, applies to the North End Prairie development.

For Smith, who cited Texas Local Government Code Chapter 245, the answer is simple.

“State law protects developments from cities changing the rules on them mid-stream,” she told Community Impact in an email. “The law says that developments can be approved under the regulations that were in place when the project began.”

Instead of applying the regulations that were in place in August 2022, when the North End Prairie development submitted its first permit, Smith emphasized that the updated rules were set in motion.

“The first step is for the city to abide by state law and review this project on the regulations that were in place when the project was started in August 2022,” Smith said.

Also of note

The public hearing will be livestreamed on the city of Bastrop’s Facebook page, and residents unable to attend can email officials their questions and comments to info@cityofbastrop.org, according to officials.

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From universe to Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson filming in Texas, the Lone Star State is quickly becoming Hollywood 2.0. With more film studios popping up across the state, one highly-anticipated Central Texas studio is planning to start rolling cameras next year.

Line 204 CEO Alton Butler told MySA that his new 204Texas film studio in Bastrop County is set to begin construction on September 2. Over the past few years, the project has faced several setbacks with the city, but now some of its studios are slated to be completed by the second quarter of 2026.

"We should have four stages built by probably six months to seven months," Butler said.

The first part of the project was initially expected to be completed by the end of this year. However, Butler said construction was delayed due to a water supply permitting issue with the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN), which allows a city utility to provide water to a specific area. This ended up leading to the creation of their own public water system to support the project.

"We were going to tap into their water, well they couldn't handle it," Butler said. "So it kind pushed us back to create our own public water system on the property. So now we're in the tail end of that."

204Texas is an extension of Butler's successful production company (Line 204) in Los Angeles, which provides stage and production equipment for media giants like Netflix, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Hulu and Disney. In 2021, Butler purchased a 546-acre property in Bastrop County near the Colorado River to create 204Texas, a self-sustaining film-play-stay hub designed to house actors, crews and basically everything needed for movie magic.

Construction on the studios was delayed for two years following back-and-forth incentive changes with the city, but it was ultimately annexed to Bastrop County in 2023 because the necessary incentives for the project exceeded the city's economic budget. State tax film incentives will help fund the new studios, an investment that Butler explained can benefit Texas' economy by hiring local crews and partnering with state universities to offer jobs and internships.

Once fully operational, 204Texas will create 747 jobs and generate $105 million for the area's local economy, according to Bastrop County's 2024 financial impact analysis. In 10 years, it's expected to bring in $1.9 billion.

"The long planned film studio in Bastrop County is about to become a reality," Adena Lewis, Bastrop County's director of Tourism and Economic Development told MySA. "The process of planning and permitting with our development services team have gone very well and Bastrop County looks forward to supporting the work of this studio."

204Texas joins a slew of other film studios in Texas, including Taylor Sheridan's SGS Studios in North Texas, ATX Studios in Austin, Southside Studios in Dallas and three more set to open this year in the DFW. Chuck and Shazam actor Zachary Levi is also planning a $100 million, 75-acre film studio in Bastrop, but Butler said he's not worried about any competition as 204Texas' location and amenities are so unique.

"I'm not worried about that because, again, we have such a different project when it comes to, let's just say, pretty much any of the other guys that are building," Butler said. "They don't have four miles of riverfront that they can use of the Colorado. They don't have pastures on site. They don't have a full beach on site. They do not have a forest on their site. We have all of that."

He added that he's excited for 204Texas and the new and existing film studios working together to form a strong Hollywood-like ecosystem in Texas.

"I think Texas is really has a chance of being that Hollywood 2.0," Butler said. "The more studios that open up in Texas, the better off we are as a film industry, because it creates such an ecosystem off of that. We all feed off each other, like here in L.A., you know, Warner Brothers, if you're Warner Brothers, you might need a light at Universal, or if you're at Universal, you might need some wardrobe for Paramount...so it's going to make us all stronger."

Although the exact completion date for 204Texas has not been set yet, Butler estimates that first four studios will be finished before July 2026. He says the project will be completed in phases with 11 buildings for now, to allow more opportunities to grow organically.

The city of Bastrop will hold a rehabilitation kickoff for the Old Iron Bridge project at 10 a.m. July 26.

Bastrop Mayor Ishmael Harris, Bastrop City Council and others are expected to attend the event, which will take place at the Old Iron Bridge entrance closest to downtown.

“This is a staple representation of Bastrop, so I’m really excited about the restoration of the Old Iron Bridge,” Harris, who expects a great turnout, told Community Impact. “I remember growing up as a kid and riding across that bridge, so it means a lot to me that our city is able to hold on to that heritage.”

About the project

The project—designed by Austin-based Huitt-Zollars and to be completed by Dripping Springs-based Jay-Reese Contractors—will feature several improvements, including:

However, Harris emphasized how access is what he is most looking forward to.

“I’ll be able to walk around, stand there and just have moments of serenity,” he said.

Some context

In late June, Bastrop City Council approved a resolution for the intended issuance of certificates of obligation worth $20 million—$10.1 million of which will be used to fund the Old Iron Bridge project, .

There will be an estimated 5% interest rate, according to a city staff report.

The remaining $9.9 million will be directed toward other potential projects, such as improvements at Minerva Delgado Park, Fireman’s Park and Mayfest Park.

The Old Iron Bridge project was previously estimated to cost $15.3 million, according to a city document from 2022.

The backstory

The Old Iron Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

“It exemplifies the Parker steel-truss style—a truss design that was commonly used in bridges in Texas and the U.S. from the 1920s to the 1940s,” Bastrop Finance Director Judy Sandroussi said in June. “It was among the largest bridges in Texas at the time and remains one of the earliest examples of Parker steel-truss bridges still intact in the state.”

The local landmark, which closed in 2018 in response to safety concerns, is now on track to reopen in the fall of 2026.

“I encourage the community to come on out to the rehabilitation kickoff and show support as we take the time to preserve a big part of Bastrop history,” Harris said.

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