Hundreds of business owners, regional officials and lawmakers attended the event in San Marcos.
The outlook
Henry Cisneros, former San Antonio mayor and 10th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, began the summit by detailing what the region could look like by 2050.
“What we’re living through is quantitatively different than any generation has seen before,” he said.
By 2050, Cisneros said the population in the Austin and San Antonio metroplex is projected to grow from 5.3 million to 8.3 million.
Even by 2030, the population in the area is expected to grow to 6 million or 7 million, according to the Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council.
Between 2023 and 2024 alone, data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that San Antonio grew by 23,945 residents.
Overall, Cisneros concluded that the area has “no limits” to growth, but there are three issues that could hinder it—housing affordability, water resources and traffic congestion along I-35 itself.
The context
During the discussion panel, led by the Austin and San Antonio Business Journals, many officials highlighted ways to manage the region's current growth levels.
Stacy Schmitt, the senior vice president of communications and external affairs from Opportunity Austin, discussed ways that Austin could maintain the expansion that the city has seen over the past 25 years.
“The opportunity is definitely within the entire megaregion,” she said. “Collaboration [between] cities has a great role.”
Mike Kamerlander, Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership president and CEO, echoed these collaborative aspirations.
“We’re working on that goal in San Marcos, Kyle and beyond,” he said. “The area is affordable, and there is a lot of room for development.”
Down in San Antonio, Ashley Gossen, the chief economic development officer of the Greater SATX Regional Economic Partnership, said the best ways to continue growth in the Alamo area are to collaborate with both companies and with city residents themselves.
“The collaboration there is key for us to be able to see growth,” she said. “It needs to be a place where we attract companies and where people want to live.”
Looking ahead
Jonathan Packer, the president and CEO of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, talked about what future businesses should bring to the I-35 corridor.
“Come with a partnership mindset,” he said. “Understand the challenges of working with the public sector and find something that will be profitable for both.”
Citing a need for the San Marcos, Buda and Kyle areas in Hays County to continue adding more restaurants and family entertainment, Kamerlander also mentioned the need for a balancing act in the future for the entire I-35 corridor.
"These cities are inundated with so many building projects, housing and industrial," he said. "Partnering with us will help with stability going forward."
