Brownsville Mayor believes SpaceX can bring bright future to Vermilion

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — When SpaceX locates in Vermilion Parish in the near future, the Mayor of Brownsville, Texas has witnessed firsthand the positives it will bring to Cajun Country.
Over the weekend, the Advocate newspaper released an article stating that sources close to SpaceX said the space company is planning to build a new spaceport on an 18-mile strip, just south of Pecan Island, that will launch rockets. What type of rockets is still unknown.
The newspaper article states that SpaceX will receive control of 130,000 acres, known as Vermilion Cooperation. The agreement between the state, SpaceX and Mobile/Exxon has not been made public.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr. said SpaceX and Brownsville have been good partners over the last 14 years. SpaceX built a large facility on a 140-acre strip of beach land next to the Gulf of Mexico, where it builds the rockets. Down the road is a launch pad, where it can launch 25 rockets a year.
Before SpaceX arrived in Brownsville, the city of close to 200,000, struggled to survive because it was only a farming community and was also kept alive by the commerce it made by being right next to Mexico. Today, the community is thriving and businesses have benefited from having Elon Musk's company 30 minutes away.
“It has been a big change for us, but in a positive way,” said Mayor Cowen. “There has been a demand for skilled laborers. SpaceX’s wages are good, which then raises the pay for many who live in Brownsville.”
There is also tourism.
“People come from all over to watch a rocket launch,” Cowen said. “They eat at the restaurants and fill up the hotels. All that adds to our economy.”
Another positive for the community is that SpaceX hires local people and uses local companies to build what it needs. The mayor said 70% of the people who work at SpaceX are from Brownsville or from the surrounding community.
Businesses like machine shops, welders and concrete and dirt companies have benefited due to SpaceX.
“SpaceX is always doing something,” the Mayor said. “They are always building something. The industrial supply chain we have in Brownsville is being used by SpaceX. It has created more opportunities for skilled workers.”
He gave the example of a welder fresh out of school. Before SpaceX arrived, a young welder may start at $16 an hour if they were lucky to get a job. Now, those same welders can make as much as $40 an hour.
Before SpaceX, Brownsville’s biggest money maker was property tax, which made it one of the poorest cities in the nation. Now, the city’s sales tax collection has risen over the years, making it Brownsville’s government the top money producer.
Cowen said he has heard of welders who are now wealthier because they were allowed to invest in SpaceX, and when the company’s stock went public this summer, many SpaceX employees benefited.
“I think it is exciting for Brownsville to be part of history, with regards of space exploration,” the Mayor said.
The Elon Musk Foundation has also contributed millions to the schools and to the city.
The Mayor said he has no idea what SpaceX will be building in Vermilion Parish, but he is happy for Louisiana because it is joining the space exploration.
Not everyone in Vermilion Parish is thrilled that SpaceX will be locating in the marshlands of south Louisiana. Many worry the company will destroy the marshes, as well as destroy Pecan Island.
Mayor Cowen said not everyone was happy and are still not happy with the space exploration company locating along the Gulf.
He looks at like this, “It is a trade off. We all know we are losing something, but what we have gained in terms of opportunity and economically, is better for the community, I think having SpaceX is worth it.”