Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state was awarding $5.8 million to Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville to build road infrastructure connections to a forthcoming industrial park designed to attract more aerospace business to the region.

Appearing Thursday at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum located on the airport’s grounds, DeSantis said the funds are coming from the state’s job growth grant fund.

“We’re in a situation where we’re in this great commercial space investment boom, and I think we have a lot more runway to be able to do on that,” he said. “Though the federal government clearly is playing a role, but our role, I think, is to say, ‘What infrastructure do we need?’ particularly in this area, to be able to continue to make this part of Florida the number one place for space anywhere in the entire world.”

DeSantis said launch companies, for instance, have indicated to him that they would be happy to not only fly from Florida, but build here as well.

“I was talking to some of these guys who are involved in the launches, and they’re like, you know, we want to make everything in Florida and then just launch it right there,” he said. “You don’t want to be bringing stuff from around the country. So there’s a lot of industrial possibilities here.”

The new industrial park, the development of which was announced in 2023, is known as Space Coast Innovation Park run by a real estate investment firm Hines in partnership with commercial real estate group Key Group. It will have at least five buildings on 450 acres located on the west side of the airport property providing at least 1.4 million square feet of new industrial building space to be built out over three phases.

“You want to be able to link the airport to the industrial park,” DeSantis said about the request to provide state funds from the governor’s job growth grant fund. “And we looked at the project and we said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do that,’ because I think it lays the foundation where you’re going to be able to see even more job creation. I think you’ll see a positive fiscal impact.”

The funds will help construct the roadway and drainage improvements for the connection with more money coming for design and permitting from the North Brevard Economic Development Zone.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who chairs the board of Space Florida, the state’s aerospace finance and development agency, said since 2007 it has attracted $5.9 billion of economic impact to the state. As of 2024, the projects it has brokered, such as the $120 million Amazon satellite processing facility in the works at nearby Kennedy Space Center, have contributed to what is now an annual $1.1 billion in projected aerospace growth in the state.

“We have become the fastest-growing region. Of course, we’ve always been known for our launches, but really beyond the launches, we’ve tried to create an environment that’s going to foster growth in so many areas that are related to aviation and aerospace,” Nuñez said. “We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish from an economic perspective.”

Space Florida has more than 160 projects in the business development pipeline that could mean more than $4 billion more to the state, she said.

She credits the state’s investment in infrastructure as part of the attraction for companies to do business here.

“So as we look to the future and we look for more and more aerospace companies deciding to move here, our project pipeline continues to grow,” she said.

DeSantis entertained a question about whether Florida would ever be in the mix to attract Elon Musk’s SpaceX operations beyond its existing launch infrastructure. Musk recently announced SpaceX headquarters was moving to Texas.

“So look, I think that Elon has a relationship in Texas. He obviously lives there. I think he’s favorable to Florida. He knows we’ve got good launch conditions, but I think that’s kind of the muscle memory that they have,” DeSantis said. “I don’t think it’s a reflection on Florida. I think it’s just the fact that they’ve done a lot of business there.”

He did say Florida would be an ideal location for SpaceX headquarters.

“They do have a big footprint here already. But look, I mean, I like Texas writ large,” he said. “Whereas I think here, I think this is a great spot. I mean, this would be a great spot to have a headquarters here on the Space Coast.

“And we’re doing a lot of things right? So I’m not promising anything or optimistic about it, because I just think that they’ve done a lot in Texas over the years.”

He said in the long-term, more companies will find Florida an attractive place to do business.

“Anything with aerospace is good. But regardless of where the corporate headquarters is, you are going to see more and more manufacturing expand here on the Space Coast,” DeSantis said.