SpaceX proposes purchase of 1,200 acres near Starbase

SpaceX confirmed on Friday that it has discussed acquiring 1,200 acres of public parkland near its Starbase launch facility in Cameron County. The company stated that the proposed transaction does not include Boca Chica Beach and that it intends to preserve half of the acquired property as coastal habitat.

The announcement follows media reports that Texas Parks and Wildlife officials planned to discuss ceding control of state park land to a company owned by Elon Musk. A draft agenda for a Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting in early November referenced the disposition of 1,300 acres in Cameron County. The finalized agenda removed the item, and it is unclear if the commission will consider the transaction again.

Starbase City Administrator Cayetana Polanco said on Thursday that the proposed deal concerns land surrounding the launch facility, not the beach itself. "First, to be absolutely clear, nobody is buying or selling Boca Chica Beach," Polanco said in a statement. SpaceX later detailed that its proposal involves mudflats and coastal dunes that are largely unused by people.

Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa criticized the potential sale after winning the governor's race in November. She said she spoke with the executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife to request that no action be taken on the sale during her transition. The agency has remained silent on the specific transaction and is trying to block the release of the draft agenda to the public.

Justin Minsker, a spokesperson for Texas Parks and Wildlife, said on Friday that the agency was not at liberty to discuss real estate transactions before they have been vetted by the commission. "Our Commission did not address this item at our November meeting," Minsker said. "TPWD has an obligation to appropriately steward and conserve public lands for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations of Texans."

Critics argue the sale would reduce public access to the coast. Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, called the company's statement "absolutely ludicrous." She said SpaceX is actively destroying and polluting Boca Chica Beach and that the company has scattered rocket debris across sensitive wildlife habitat. Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, called the assurances about the beach a "red herring" that distracts from the sale of public land to a private entity.

SpaceX stated that unrestricted access to the area adjacent to an active launch facility creates unnecessary risks. The company said it has removed over 50 tons of trash weekly in collaboration with the city of Starbase and has invested in beach erosion protection and sea turtle rescue programs. SpaceX also said it intends to preserve 600 acres of coastal habitat as part of the deal.

On Thursday, SpaceX provided details on a separate $24 billion data center project near the Port of Brownsville. The facility includes a gas-fired power plant and a super-computing campus for training intelligence systems. Construction has created more than 3,000 construction jobs, and the company expects more than 500 permanent jobs once operational. The city of Starbase has scheduled a public hearing in December to discuss a potential tax abatement agreement for the project.

SpaceX is also seeking approval to increase rocket launches and landings at Starbase from 25 per year to 100, with a long-term goal of 456. The Federal Aviation Administration is evaluating the request. In exchange for Brownsville city commissioners de-annexing land for the data center, SpaceX agreed to fund $220 million for local water and wastewater projects.