AUSTIN, Texas — A report obtained by Bloomberg has revealed Elon Musk's plans to expand his Giga Texas manufacturing facility in Austin to establish what the billionaire calls an “ecological paradise.”
The plans include 3.78 miles of riverfront, wildlife corridors, walking and cycling trails, picnic areas, sports facilities, a waterfront amphitheater and more. An “expo area” may also display some of SpaceX’s products.
Musk’s efforts to expand the 2,500-acre swath of land near Austin Bergstrom International Airport come as he and his businesses continue to face criticism over pollution and worker deaths at some facilities, as well as his involvement with President Donald Trump's administration.
Musk has been at the helm of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) service to slash government funding. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO's sudden and close relationship with the president has been divisive, leading to a rise in vandalism of Tesla vehicles, dropping sales of the EVs and protests at Tesla showrooms.
Environmental group Save RGV filed a lawsuit against SpaceX last year over claims that the company polluted local waters and violated the Clean Water Act through its Starbase launch site at Brownsville’s Boca Chica Beach.
“SpaceX must stop breaking the law,” Save RGV member Jim Chapman said. “Because the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has failed thus far to enforce the law, our local community must turn to the courts to ensure the protection of Boca Chica and its sensitive ecosystem.”
Whether environmental groups or residents will push back against the Giga Texas expansion remains to be seen.
A start date for construction has not yet been announced, Bloomberg reports.
