SAN MARCOS, Texas — San Marcos leaders will reconsider a recently-approved tax break for a massive film studio set to be located in the La Cima master-planned development.
The $267 million, 820,000-square-foot Hill Country Studios facility would be located at 6202 West Centerpoint Road and is expected to include 12 sound stages, backlots, production offices and more.
But according to a report from the Austin Business Journal (ABJ), the group Protect The River gathered outside the San Marcos City Council meeting on Tuesday to protest the development. The group argues that the studio facility could damage the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, the primary source of water for about two million people in the area.
The ABJ reports that while the City of San Marcos does not own the land and can't stop private development, the protestors suggested that the June 7 incentives agreement is evidence that the City supports development in an environmentally protected area.
Last month, the chief operating officer of Hill Country Studios told KVUE that he believes San Marcos is a perfect location to build a studio in Texas because it would be close to an airport and amenities. He also said the studio would be able to use crews from Austin and San Antonio thanks to San Marcos' central location.
The city council has placed an item on its July 5 meeting agenda to discuss reconsidering the incentives agreement for Hill Country Studios, according to council documents.
To learn more, read the ABJ's full report.
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