Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space technology company, selected Hutto as the site for a $555 million advanced manufacturing and operations campus in early October.
Called Constellation Park, the 1.3 million-square-foot complex is expected to house more than 2,000 jobs over the next 10 years, according to information from both the city and company.
To secure the deal, the city of Hutto, Hutto Economic Development Corp., Williamson County and state of Texas all offered economic development incentives to Blue Origin, said Cheney Gamboa, Hutto’s director of economic development.
Blue Origin will finish out and move into existing and future buildings at Hutto Crossing industrial park along Hwy. 79 between Innovation Boulevard and Alliance Boulevard. The site will become a production hub for some of Blue Origin’s satellite and communications technology.
“Hutto is becoming an anchor point on the Hwy. 79 tech corridor," Mayor Mike Snyder said in a news release. "Our policies and our approach to business are drawing in the kind of companies that create career opportunities, not just jobs. That's what it takes to build a place where people want to live, work and play."
Blue Origin overview
The details
Because the local economic development incentives are not yet finalized, the details aren’t available publicly, Gamboa said.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office awarded Blue Origin an $18.2 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant as well as a $10,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus, which provides funding for each job filled by a veteran within the first year of its creation.
Snyder said the HEDC’s economic incentive prioritizes jobs for Hutto residents. Using sales tax revenue, it provides Blue Origin with $10,000 per employee who has been a Hutto resident with a homesteaded property for at least a year.
“We want people to be long-term Blue Origin employees who live in Hutto,” Snyder said.
Additionally, Snyder said the city’s incentives will reimburse a portion of Blue Origin’s property taxes for a period of time. Internships for Hutto ISD students are also built into the deal, he said.
The impact
Snyder said historically one of Hutto’s issues has been not having enough local, high-quality jobs for residents. He said the jobs at Blue Origin will pay more than Williamson County's median wage.
With its 2,000 expected jobs, Constellation Park will nearly quadruple the number of Blue Origin employees in Texas, according to the company.
The company manufactures and operates rocket engines, reusable launch vehicles, lunar landers and satellite systems. The Hutto facility will focus on the latter, supporting manufacturing for TeraWave, Blue Origin’s satellite communications network, and expanding production of its Quartz ground communications network.
Looking ahead
Gamboa said Blue Origin already has staff on-site in Hutto and is actively hiring.
Additionally, she said as the company builds out the existing facilities and constructs more space, the demand for local technicians and trade workers will be high.
While Blue Origin ramps up, Snyder said the city of Hutto will continue to attract other companies, diversifying and growing its employer pool.
“I think the overall business climate and Hutto as a city the way it is … is attracting a lot of interest from these type of companies,” Snyder said.
“Every project we bring to Hutto is measured against the same goals: quality jobs, a diverse tax base and sustainable growth that benefits our residents. Blue Origin checks every one of those boxes.”
Cheney Gamboa, Hutto director of economic development
