Acutronic USA Inc. announced plans roughly three years ago to build a 20,000-square-foot factory in the city east of Austin. But since then, the nearly 14-acre lot has sat empty.
Bastrop plans to amend its economic development agreement with the aerospace company and reduce its initial $1 million in incentives for site infrastructure improvements to $0, according to city documents. Instead the city plans to take over responsibility for the site's infrastructure, which includes wastewater lines, pavement, curb and gutter improvements.
“The company is not skilled in this type of planning and development and has struggled to complete the project,” city documents read.
Bastrop's economic development corporation will vote on the amendment at its meeting Monday night.
Acutronic's factory build-out was "shelved" because of estimated costs, project timing and a reduction of Bastrop EDC's revenue, according to city documents.
City officials said they have been working with Acutronic's design team on site planning and infrastructure needs because the incentive agreement required a shovel-ready site before construction could start. That work includes utility, roadway and other pre-construction improvements.
The factory will be built on a roughly 13.8-acre parcel that the company bought for $1.89 million in 2024, according to county property records.
The incentive agreement, approved in 2023, included stipulations that the company hire at least 50 full-time employees with an average annual salary of at least $56,240 within the first five years, start construction within four months of the site becoming shovel-ready, move into the facility within 32 months of the start of construction and invest at least $4 million in the area.
According to city documents, Acutronic plans to submit future amendments for water and wastewater lines, plat provisions, paved streets and exception requests to work around parts of the city's property limitations for the future business park.
Acutronic USA, headquartered in Pittsburgh, makes motion simulators and works in the aerospace and defense sectors. The company's aerospace components business has its headquarters in Austin and employs about 100 people at its offices off Ed Bluestein Boulevard.