SpaceX is moving ahead with plans to develop an exclusive outdoor recreation complex for its employees in Bastrop, Texas, according to public documents and recent reporting. Known internally as Project Echo, the development will be located adjacent to the company’s rapidly growing Starlink manufacturing site along the Colorado River.
According to a concept development plan, the project aims to create a private employee-only retreat, featuring tennis (or Ternnis as it is written in the plans), basketball and pickleball courts, picnic areas, and a potential floating kayak deck, spread across several acres.
Project Echo reflects Elon Musk’s broader vision of creating live-work-play environments for staff tied to his companies, and follows a similar initiative, a proposed “ecological paradise” near Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin.
However, Project Echo faces unique regulatory and environmental challenges. The proposed location sits on a designated floodplain beside the Colorado River, which has forced SpaceX to scale back certain elements of the design. Plans for permanent buildings and solar lighting have reportedly been scrapped due to flood risk. In accordance with Bastrop County’s flood damage prevention requirements, the company must obtain elevation certificates at three separate construction milestones.
Bastrop County has already issued a development permit for the site, though officials have clarified that it is not classified as a public park, which would have required additional reviews and community input. The site is intended solely for internal SpaceX use and will not be accessible to the general public.
This latest expansion complements SpaceX’s aggressive buildout in Central Texas. The Bastrop Starlink factory, where the company produces thousands of satellite internet terminals daily, is expected to grow by an additional 1 million square feet over the next three years. The facility recently built its 10 millionth Starlink kit.
