Space Florida has applied for stormwater permits covering 217 acres near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, marking the first step in developing a commercial aerospace facility. The project, located southwest of the Kennedy Parkway North and A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway intersection, would include 111 acres of impervious development. The permit, filed Aug. 28, covers preliminary site work for future buildings, parking lots, and infrastructure. Space Florida spokesperson Alayna Curry confirmed the application in an email but declined to name the company or provide further details.
The proposed facility requires environmental mitigation for Florida scrub-jay and gopher tortoise habitats, according to St. Johns River Water Management District records. No tenant has been identified for the site, which sits near the former space shuttle landing strip on KSC's northeast end. The project comes as Brevard County officials highlight recent aerospace developments, including Relativity Space's planned expansion phase. That initiative, announced during an Aug. 26 Investment Committee meeting, aims to create 590 jobs with average salaries of $86,000 through construction of an upper-stage testing facility for Terran R rockets.
Other pending projects include a mystery firm known as Project Horseshoe, which seeks up to $230 million in financing for expansion. The lack of public information about the KSC facility's tenant has raised questions among local business leaders. 'We’re not able to provide additional details about the company or project just yet,' Curry wrote. The permitting process could take months, with final approval dependent on environmental reviews and stakeholder input.
The new facility would add to KSC's growing list of commercial tenants, including SpaceX and Blue Origin. Local officials have long pushed for increased private-sector involvement at the spaceport, citing economic benefits. However, environmental groups have expressed concerns about habitat disruption. The stormwater permit application includes plans for a management system to address runoff from the 217-acre site. Final construction timelines remain unclear as Space Florida navigates regulatory hurdles.