Elon Musk now has a city. It is called Starbase and is located in South Texas, reports the German public media ARD.
In the United States, unlike Germany and most European countries, private individuals can found a city. In Texas, the requirement is that at least 200 people live in the settlement and at least 10% of them sign a petition. That is exactly what happened with Starbase. The documents have already been issued - the approximately 280 SpaceX employees and their families now live in their own city.
City or huge rocket site?
On the streets of Starbase, palm trees, bungalows, small houses, caravans - and above all, construction sites, ARD further explains. The place still doesn't look like a real city, but it's obvious that this is Elon Musk's city. A three-meter bust of the billionaire stands on the highway on the way to Starbase. Starship, the world's largest rocket, is also being built here.
Starbase is located in close proximity to the Mexican border and is surrounded by protected areas, dunes and the sea. Boca Chica beach, a favorite destination for many tourists but also a sacred place for indigenous people, is very close by. Environmental activist Becca Hinojosa fears that Musk could block the only road to the beach. This is a place that should remain intact, not become a site for dangerous missile tests, the activist tells ARD.
Until now, only the county authorities had the right to close the highway to the beach, but SpaceX wants to assert itself and get this right too. "Elon Musk and SpaceX are playing the whole region and trying to gain control of Boca Chica Beach", warns the environmentalist.
A chance for a boom?
However, others see a chance in the project of the billionaire close to Donald Trump. Because the area where Starbase is being built is one of the poorest in the United States. Gilberto Salinas runs a company that helps companies settle in the city of Brownsville, which is located 30 kilometers from Musk's village. SpaceX's influence is already being felt in the city of 190,000, says Salinas. Houses are being built, and an industrial park is being built, which will accommodate companies that move to the area because of SpaceX's projects.
Elon Musk's company has already invested $3.5 billion in its headquarters in South Texas, Salinas estimates. 3,500 people work there, and 70% of the employees are local. Thousands more jobs could be created in the coming years. Starbase also attracts tourists. Each rocket launch attracts 20,000 people, and the trend is increasing. And the US authorities have already allowed up to 25 rocket launches there per year. All this could provide a bright future for Brownsville and the entire region, says Salinas, adding that it reminds him of the development south of San Francisco in the 1960s, before Silicon Valley emerged there.
Robert Thibodeau, who owns a small Mexican restaurant in Brownsville, also agrees that Elon Musk's project is changing the city - especially at night. Until recently, there was no nightlife there, but recently more and more bars and other establishments have sprung up. More and more young people are arriving.
Musk is polarizing. His projects too.
Jose Golis, an entrepreneur and resident of Brownsville, is not a fan of either Musk or his project. According to him, rents and real estate in Brownsville have been rising in recent years, which is why a significant number of locals are at risk of becoming homeless. "Only those who work for SpaceX can afford all this. But the people of Brownsville - teachers, police officers - do not earn more than before."
Like almost any other action or project of Elon Musk, Starbase is also polarizing. And yet, almost 98% of the total 283 eligible voters voted in favor of the creation of the new city.
Author: Nina Bart (ARD)