Local communications technology company CesiumAstro has plans to bring a $500 million expansion and hundreds of new jobs to the former West Austin Business Park site, officials announced early this year.
This comes alongside a settlement agreement between the city of Bee Cave and former site developers Wheelock and Velocis, marking the anticipated end of over a year and a half of disputes over the legality of the development.
“To recruit such an exciting industry to Bee Cave, that’s a big win,” Bee Cave Mayor Kara King said.
CesiumAstro is a Bee Cave-based space satellite technology company founded in 2017 by Shey Sabripour.
“More than a year ago we started the search for a space we could really grow into,” CesiumAstro Chief Financial Officer Ken Smith said. “The idea kind of popped into our heads, is this something that could be a good solution not just for CesiumAstro, but the broader community?”
Though the warehouse was completed over a year ago, it has since sat empty amid ongoing legal battles. The original remedy Bee Cave sought was demolition of the site—but the longer it sat, the less likely Bee Cave officials felt that was going to happen, King said. Instead, the city shifted gears to the “next best thing,” which followed original plans laid out by developers for office or neighborhood services on the site.
As part of the settlement agreement, West Austin Business Park developers Velocis and KBC will also pay the city $500,000.
“This transaction delivers meaningful value for all parties,” Velocis Partner Paul Smith said in a news release.
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Diving in deeper
Traffic generated by the warehouse was a major concern among the community in initial plans, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Initial estimates said the facility would generate hundreds of daily 18-wheeler trips—that number is limited to eight monthly trips with CesiumAstro’s takeover.
CesiumAstro has worked with the city to modify the development’s design, and the development agreement will be altered to ban warehouse and distribution uses.
As part of this, the facility will be modified by turning 76 of the loading bays into windows, leaving four truck bays. Additionally, Bee Cave Police must be notified 24 hours in advance of any 18-wheeler deliveries, and each truck must have an escort, according to a news release.
“Bee Cave and the surrounding community deserve safe roads and responsible development,” King said in a January news release. “This agreement helps us deliver on those promises.
What they’re saying
Another element CesiumAstro has agreed to carry out is building beautification—a major issue for nearby residents, said Sendero Homes President Scott Walther, a Madrone Canyon homebuilder.
“Things were very quiet for quite a while,” Walther said. “When they saw the building, they’d turn around and leave, even if they were looking at lots where the building wasn’t visible.”
Madrone Canyon resident Barbara Marzean and her husband chose Madrone Canyon to build their forever home in 2024, just before the situation with the warehouse unfolded. As construction on their home began, so did the leveling of the warehouse site, where walls would soon rise in their backyard.
“We didn’t want to move because this is where we want to stay and live out the rest of our lives. … Even if we were to sell, we would lose money,” Marzean said. “We almost don’t feel like we have a choice.”
Following the settlement announcement in January, the tides have shifted, Walther said.
“Since the news broke, it was almost immediate that the traffic picked up from people looking for lots and existing homes,” Walther said.
Grant Ames with Ames Design Build, another Madrone Canyon homebuilder, said the shift to CesiumAstro is welcomed.
“[Having] CesiumAstro’s facility nearby will positively influence home sales in Madrone Canyon,” Ames said in an emailed statement. “The shift from a potential high-traffic warehouse to … aerospace [headquarters] reduces concerns about congestion and preserves the serene Hill Country atmosphere.”
Zooming out
In the time following the announcement, CesiumAstro has garnered $470 million in recent investments from entities like J.P. Morgan, Trousdale Ventures and other global investors like Airbus Ventures and Toyota’s Woven Capital.
Gov. Greg Abbott also extended congratulations to CesiumAstro for moving its global headquarters to Bee Cave on Jan. 13, according to a news release.
“CesiumAstro’s investment in Texas helps further position our state as a global hub for the aerospace, aviation and defense industry,” Abbott said in the news release.
In addition to its recent investment gains, CesiumAstro landed a $10 million investment from the Texas Space Commission last May for a headquarters expansion.
“This momentum reflects the broader strength of space technology investment across Texas, which continues to attract global attention,” said Andres Ramos, Texas Space Commission’s director of communications.
About the technology
Dreamed up in a Hill Country Galleria coffee shop, CesiumAstro launched in 2017 with “big ambitions but a small amount of money,” Ken Smith said.
Since then, the company has grown to a workforce of about 200, developing efficient space communication technologies with the use of active phased arrays. The technology itself—ranging from communication payload systems to software components—goes into developing satellites that are about the size of a refrigerator, Ken Smith said.
The facility is focused on assembly and light machining, Ken Smith said. (Courtesy CesiumAstro)What’s next
The goal is for CesiumAstro to begin operations at its new site in 2027, Ken Smith said.
“They’re going to have 500 very well-paying executive jobs; that’s great for property values,” King said.
Following the settlement agreement announcement, Marzean said she hopes to see her neighborhood “get back to normal.”
“I guess I would say we’re cautiously optimistic,” Marzean said.
The settlement agreement was signed by all parties as of Feb. 20, meaning the case will no longer go to court. Former City Manager Clint Garza was dropped as a defendant in the lawsuit Jan. 21 after signing a cooperation agreement with the city.
