CesiumAstro shares next steps on $500M expansion From the cover
Diving in deeper
The overview
Tra c 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 modi ed by turning 76 of the loading bays into windows, leaving four truck bays. Additionally, Bee Cave Police must be noti ed 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 agree- ment helps us deliver on those promises.”
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 o cials 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 o ce 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.
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, o cials 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 O cer Ken Smith said. “The idea
The land is adjacent to the Madrone Canyon neighborhood, where homebuilders and residents have previously spoken out against the warehouse.
CAPROCK SUMMIT DR.
SERENE HILLS DR.
SAGEBROOK DR.
Comparing the facilities
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West Austin Business Park
TWIN PEAKS TRACE
HORIZON VISTA WAY
CesiumAstro
80 truck bays
4 truck bays
AUBURN VISTA COVE
SWEETWATER VILLAGE DR.
ACACIA DR.
MORNING GROVE LN.
Madrone Canyon
Hundreds of estimated daily truck trips Used as a distribution warehouse
Cap of 8 truck trips monthly
SILVER LUNA WAY
Future CesiumAstro headquarters
Used as an o ce and satellite assembly space
DUSK LIGHT COVE
Truck escort not required
Truck escort required
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
©GOOGLE EARTH
SOURCE: CITY OF BEE CAVE COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCES: CESIUMASTRO, MADRONE CANYON COMMUNITY IMPACT
What they’re saying
that the tra c 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 pos- itively in uence home sales in Madrone Canyon,” Ames said in an emailed statement. “The shift from a potential high-tra c warehouse to ... aerospace [headquarters] reduces concerns about congestion and preserves the serene Hill Country atmosphere.”
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
Another element CesiumAstro has agreed to carry out is building beauti cation—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
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