More than 140 developers, brokers, investors, and city leaders packed Buda City Hall on Tuesday for a rare joint appearance by six economic development directors from Hays and Caldwell Counties. The event, hosted by the Buda Economic Development Corporation, underscored a deliberate shift from inter-city competition to regional collaboration as the Austin-San Antonio corridor emerges as a major growth engine.
The panel featured Jennifer L. Storm of the Buda EDC; Victoria Vargas of the City of Kyle; Helen Ramirez of the City of San Marcos; Holly Malish of the Lockhart EDC; Ari Arias of the Luling EDC; and Mike Kamerlander of the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership. Organizer Tim Dowling of The Roundabout in Buda noted the turnout was the largest in the meetup’s four-year history, confirming strong market appetite for direct engagement with decision-makers.
Storm framed Buda’s value proposition as “Austin access without Austin friction,” highlighting roughly three million square feet of Class A industrial space available or under construction along I-35, a highly educated talent base, and the planned early 2027 opening of The Depot on Main, a revitalized historic train depot designed as a launchpad for makers and retail startups. She emphasized that partnership, not rivalry, drives the region’s success.
Each community showcased complementary strengths. Kyle pointed to healthcare expansion with St. David’s new emergency center and Austin Community College’s growing health sciences presence, plus new industrial inventory at Kyle Commerce Center. San Marcos positioned itself as the region’s education and innovation powerhouse, citing Texas State University, STAR Park, the regional airport, and an advancing aerospace and defense ecosystem. Lockhart celebrated Hill Country Foodworks’ expansion from 10,000 to 62,000 square feet and new downtown redevelopment frameworks. Luling, as the gateway to I-10, spotlighted X-Bow’s production campus and a widening aerospace and retail footprint.
The implications for businesses are significant. Companies can choose among five distinct communities while tapping shared infrastructure, permitting support, and a regional labor market of more than 2.7 million workers within a 60-minute drive. Caldwell County offers cost-competitive land and connectivity via SH 130 and I-10, while Hays County provides workforce growth and innovation assets. Leaders repeatedly stressed workforce readiness, regional job fairs, career and technical education, and business retention as shared priorities, with small business support and microloan partnerships seen as essential to quality of place.
Kamerlander and colleagues framed the Austin-San Antonio Innovation Corridor as Central Texas’ next defining opportunity, with aerospace and dual-use defense technology accelerating alongside advanced manufacturing, retail, and hospitality. The coordinated front aims to attract high-value industry and investment that might otherwise locate elsewhere in Texas.
The Hays (Caldwell) Commercial Real Estate Meetup meets the second Tuesday of each month, serving professionals shaping commercial real estate and economic growth across Hays County, Caldwell County, and the Texas Innovation Corridor. For site visits or further discussion, economic development representatives in Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, Lockhart, or Luling can provide additional information.
