News and Resources

Get to know the man atop this unique metalworking business in Bastrop, including how he disconnects when he's not at work and why he has a love-hate relationship with his smartphone. Deep in the Heart has gained acclaim for projects such as the the large "Jacob's Dream" sculpture at Abilen...Continue Reading

Bastrop, Texas, is a destination for the holidays! Wassail Fest and Small Business Saturday are back November 27th to kick off the season of Lost Pines Christmas events! Canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, the return of this family-friendly celebration, a tradition since 2016, is guaranteed to get yo...Continue Reading

In order to address the impacts of COVID-19 and to support Texas’ continued economic recovery, our partners at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) approved funding to support a new child care program to help workers in TWC-specified service industries.  While TWC is targeting aspects of the service sector with Service Industry Recovery (SIR) chil...Continue Reading

The recently constructed building at 921 Main St. in Downtown Bastrop not only represents a new hub of talent and creativity for the community, it also symbolizes the fruit of a longtime collaboration between the City Council, economic development center and chamber of commerce.  In 2016, Kathryn Nash, the Bastrop Economi...Continue Reading

Manufacturing Month  Bastrop, Texas, is home and witness to major innovations in manufacturing, including 3D technology. Locating in Bastrop just makes sense for manufacturers because it offers a business-friendly climate that includes a highly skilled workforce, easy access to global markets, and predictable regulations. Additionally, the Lone Star State has n...Continue Reading

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a request by the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation to spend $94,300 to contract a public utility company to conduct a feasibility wastewater study on the western stretches of the city.  The study will evaluate the existing wastewater infrastructure in Bastrop’s western extraterritorial jurisdiction which surrounds Texa...Continue Reading

The Bastrop City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s Economic Development Corporation’s request to sell a 26.5-acre tract of land in the Bastrop Business and Industrial Park for $900,000 to an Austin-based financial technology company.   The company, MOCA Ventures Nebraska LLC, plans to build a high-tech, modern three-building complex tha...Continue Reading

The Art Institute of Austin, a branch of The Art Institute of Houston, has moved its main location to Bastrop, Texas, as a result of a collaboration with the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) and the Lost Pines Art Center. The Bastrop campus is regionally accredited as part of Th...Continue Reading

Bastrop bills itself as the “most historic small town in Texas.” The town can now add another distinction to its repertoire. Cheapism.com named Bastrop, a little over 30 miles southeast of Austin, one of the 32 most charming small towns in the U.S. with “stunning” fall colors. It’s the only Texas town t...Continue Reading

There’s a time for grief, then there’s a time for celebration — and a decade of growth and resilience after a massive wildfire that burned 34,000 acres, destroyed 1,660 homes and left two people dead calls for a time to remember and applaud the community’s progress, said Linda Seal, ...Continue Reading

Update: Moca Ventures Nebraska LLC on Aug. 24 received unanimous approval from the Bastrop City Council for the incentives agreement, with city staff noting that the project could potentially bring up to 700 jobs — higher than previously reported. One more vote is required to make it official. It's se...Continue Reading

Economic growth is the core of a community’s vitality. The Development Corporation Act of 1979 gives Texas cities the ability to finance new and expanded business enterprises in their local communities through specific economic development organizations like Bastrop Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Successful businesses create jobs for residents, increase financia...Continue Reading

Elon Musk's tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has been quietly planting roots in Central Texas for months. Now more details have surfaced about what the company is planning. The Boring Co. was hiring for 20 positions in the Austin area by publication time, and a few job descriptions outlined future developmen...Continue Reading

Bastrop 552, a 546-acre private entertainment hub and film studio, has been given an initial green light after the Bastrop City Council unanimously approved a development agreement and concept plan during a June 22 meeting. Line 204 Studios, the Southern California-based company behind the proposed project, received the approval after updating it...Continue Reading