Following the opening of the cybersecurity-focused Project Tech facility last year, Port San Antonio has announced it is constructing another office building in hopes of luring even more cybersecurity industry companies to the sprawling 1,900-acre campus.
The five-story, 174,000-square-foot construction, known as Project Tech Building 2, will be located adjacent to Project Tech Building 1 at the corner of General Hudnell and General McMullen drives. On Wednesday, the Port San Antonio board of directors approved spending $50 million to build the new facility, which will feature telecommunications connectivity and backup power supply.
Set to break ground in October with an expected completion in early 2021, the new building is the latest sign of a shift in focus for Port San Antonio. The former Kelly Air Force Base has long been known as a hub for advanced manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and logistics. In recent years, however, the industrial complex has drawn an increasing number of cybersecurity firms, from startups to branches of multinational corporations.
“At the Port, we say we’re a unique place where people can build their futures, and this upcoming project is an important example of that vision,” said Chris Alderete, who chairs the Port’s board of directors. “As we continue to fill spaces quickly, we are sending an important message: The cybersecurity industry is confident in continuing to grow and innovate in San Antonio, and the place where they want to do it is right here at the Port – the heart of Cyber City USA.”
The Port is home to more than 13,000 jobs, with cyber-sector positions accounting for more than 1,000. San Antonio is second only to Washington D.C., in its concentration of cybersecurity professionals, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
The Project Tech buildings, as well as the nearby Roberson Building that also houses cyber companies, are located about a third of a mile from the 24th Air Force, or Air Forces Cyber headquarters. The National Security Agency’s Texas headquarters and the 25th Air Force, whose primary mission is to provide intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance, are also within a 20-minute drive.
Tenants at the two existing facilities include defense contractors Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, CNF Technologies, and Lockheed Martin.
