The Hays (Caldwell) Commercial Real Estate Meetup drew more than 140 developers, brokers, investors, and city leaders to Buda City Hall on Tuesday morning, marking its largest gathering in four years. The event featured a rare joint appearance by six economic development leaders from Hays and Caldwell Counties, who presented a unified vision for regional growth through 2027. Hosted by the Buda Economic Development Corporation, the session emphasized a theme of "one region, two counties, five communities."
Panelists included Jennifer L. Storm of the Buda EDC; Victoria Vargas of the City of Kyle; Helen Ramirez, AICP, of the City of San Marcos; Holly Malish, CEcD, of the Lockhart EDC; Ari Arias of the Luling EDC; and Mike Kamerlander, CEcD, of the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership. Organizer Tim Dowling of The Roundabout in Buda noted the unprecedented turnout, saying, "We've run this meetup for four years, and we've never seen a response like this. Getting six regional economic development leaders in the same room, all sharing their real priorities for where their communities are headed, is a rare opportunity."
Jennifer Storm highlighted Buda's role as offering Austin access without Austin friction, with roughly three million square feet of Class A industrial space available or under construction. She also pointed to The Depot on Main, a revitalized historic train depot set to open in early 2027 as a launchpad for makers and retail startups. Other communities showcased complementary strengths: Kyle's healthcare expansion with St. David's new emergency center and ACC's growing health sciences presence; San Marcos as an education and innovation powerhouse with Texas State University, STAR Park, and an advancing aerospace and defense ecosystem; Lockhart's Hill Country Foodworks expansion from 10,000 to 62,000 square feet; and Luling's X-Bow production campus and widening aerospace footprint.
The leaders stressed that companies gain choice across five distinct communities while benefiting from shared infrastructure, permitting support, and a regional labor market of more than 2.7 million workers within a 60-minute drive. Workforce readiness, regional job fairs, career and technical education, and business retention emerged as shared priorities. Kamerlander 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.
This collaborative approach matters for business and technology leaders because it signals a maturing ecosystem that can support complex supply chains, talent pipelines, and innovation clusters. The corridor's emphasis on aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing aligns with national trends toward reshoring and dual-use technology development. For companies considering expansion, the region offers a compelling value proposition: access to a large labor pool, diverse site options, and a coordinated economic development front that reduces friction. The partnership over competition ethos could accelerate deal-making and infrastructure investment, making the corridor a more attractive destination for high-growth industries.
The Hays (Caldwell) Commercial Real Estate Meetup meets the second Tuesday of each month and serves professionals shaping commercial real estate and economic growth across Hays County, Caldwell County, and the Texas Innovation Corridor. For more information, visit www.budaedc.com.
