San Jacinto College takes step to open aerospace training center at Houston Spaceport

San Jacinto College is taking steps to open an aerospace workforce training center at the Houston Spaceport located at Ellington Airport.

Keep going to see renderings of the cluster of aerospace companies that is hoped to be developed. less San Jacinto College is taking steps to open an aerospace workforce training center at the Houston Spaceport located at Ellington Airport.

Keep going to see renderings of the cluster of aerospace companies that ... more Photo: Bill Montgomery, Houston Chronicle Photo: Bill Montgomery, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close San Jacinto College takes step to open aerospace training center at Houston Spaceport 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

San Jacinto College is taking steps to open an aerospace workforce training center at the Houston Spaceport, providing a talent pipeline that could help attract companies to Houston.

Last week, the college received City Council approval to annex 154 acres of the Houston Spaceport. Moving this land into its taxing district will allow the school to collect money on future spaceport developments.

"That was the need that San Jacinto had in order to be able to invest in our spaceport," said Arturo Machuca, general manager of Ellington Airport and the Houston Spaceport.

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San Jacinto will receive 18 cents for each $100 of valuation for companies located on that land in fiscal 2019. The 154 acres is where the Houston Spaceport is hoping to develop a cluster of aerospace companies.

The Houston Airport System has been working on this training center for the past year and a half, Machuca said. Called the Edge Center, it could be open as early as June.

"The constant need has been the ability to have a pipeline of workforce professionals," Machuca said. "This establishment of the Edge Center at the Houston Spaceport will facilitate a constant pipeline."