Starbase leaders approved a 45-year land deal with SpaceX for 166 acres, but what will be built there remains a mystery

City of Starbase officials unanimously approved a 45-year land development deal with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. on a stormy Wednesday night during a sparsely attended special commission meeting, spanning 166 acres of the rocket manufacturer’s property in Cameron County. 

Founder Elon Musk’s rocket-launching business, SpaceX, has been rapidly changing the South Texas market and is increasingly a significant landowner in Cameron County — a municipality that does not exercise zoning control except for some sections of unincorporated South Padre Island. 

Starbase, however, does have zoning control and has re-zoned property on behalf of SpaceX from mixed-use to industrial, records show. The city has annexed many parcels of land owned by SpaceX into its jurisdiction, including dozens of acres from the 7,133 acre annexation recently finalized. It’s not immediately clear why this parcel is different. Starbase officials said it was about the city’s growth and ensuring uniformity and access to emergency services. 

The 45-year development agreement deal is the maximum allowed by local Texas government law, which means it’s locked in until 2071.