\t\t\t\tThe 2025 Austin-San Antonio Growth Summit kicked off on Oct. 8, highlighting the current growth and future expansion of business and development along the I-35 corridor.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of business owners, regional officials and lawmakers attended the event in San Marcos.<\/p>\n
The outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n Henry Cisneros<\/a>, former San Antonio mayor and 10th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, began the summit by detailing what the region could look like by 2050.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re living through is quantitatively different than any generation has seen before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n By 2050, Cisneros said the population in the Austin and San Antonio metroplex is projected to grow from 5.3 million<\/strong> to 8.3 million<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Even by 2030, the population in the area is expected to grow to 6 million or 7 million<\/strong>, according to the Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n Between 2023 and 2024 alone, data from the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a> showed that San Antonio grew by 23,945 residents<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Overall, Cisneros concluded that the area has \u201cno limits\u201d to growth, but there are three issues that could hinder it\u2014housing affordability, water resources and traffic congestion along I-35 itself.<\/p>\n The context<\/strong><\/p>\n During the discussion panel, led by the Austin and San Antonio Business Journals, many officials highlighted ways to manage the region’s current growth levels.<\/p>\n Stacy Schmitt, the senior vice president of communications and external affairs from Opportunity Austin<\/a>, discussed ways that Austin could maintain the expansion that the city has seen over the past 25 years.<\/p>\n \u201cThe opportunity is definitely within the entire megaregion,\u201d she said. \u201cCollaboration [between] cities has a great role.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike Kamerlander, Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership<\/a> president and CEO, echoed these collaborative aspirations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re working on that goal in San Marcos, Kyle and beyond,\u201d he said. \u201cThe area is affordable, and there is a lot of room for development.\u201d<\/p>\n Down in San Antonio, Ashley Gossen, the chief economic development officer of the Greater SATX Regional Economic Partnership<\/a>, said the best ways to continue growth in the Alamo area are to collaborate with both companies and with city residents themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cThe collaboration there is key for us to be able to see growth,\u201d she said. \u201cIt needs to be a place where we attract companies and where people want to live.\u201d<\/p>\n