By Associated Press - Monday, September 22, 2014

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — SpaceX founder Elon Musk says over the next three to four years the company expects to spend $100 million in South Texas on the first commercial orbital spaceport.

Musk was joined Monday by Gov. Rick Perry and other officials as SpaceX broke ground at the state’s southernmost tip.

The ceremony marked the start of construction of the $85 million site at Boca Chica Beach, east of Brownsville. The site will be used to launch commercial satellites.

Perry is providing $2.3 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund toward the project and another $13 million from the Spaceport Trust Fund to pay for infrastructure.

California-based SpaceX is expected to create 300 jobs at the site. The company already has a rocket testing facility in McGregor, in Central Texas, that employs 250 people.

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