By Justin Sayers – Senior Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal
Oct 7, 2025
Listen to this article4 min
A Liberty Hill developer is set to acquire 16 acres in Killeen for a speculative flex industrial park as the city far north of Austin continues courting manufacturers and other companies to diversify away from the defense industry.
BlueAcre Development is acquiring the land in the Killeen Business Park from the Killeen Economic Development Corp. It could build more than 170,000 square feet of mid-sized light industrial flex space along Rickey Carlise Circle, spread across four buildings ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 square feet, according to BlueAcre founder and CEO Rupe Gopani.
The company is still working through the permitting process but aims to start construction in the first half of 2026.
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Rupe said the company was interested in Killeen, about 70 miles north of Austin, because it identified a need in the city for new industrial space. It also views the city as well-positioned to capitalize on growth in Central Texas, based on its strong labor market and infrastructure needed for industrial users. The final selling point was the city's pro-business and pro-growth approach, he said.
"Those are some really important things that we look for in any city that we decide to develop in," Rupe said.
The company has done smaller industrial projects, he said, like office with warehouse or flex spaces. But this will be its first tilt wall construction project.
He credited Killeen for being "really easy to work with whenever there's a problem or whenever we have an issue."
Tyler Robert, vice president of economic development for the Killeen EDC and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, said in an email that the project is a "clear signal that Killeen is continuing to grow as a destination for business seeking new opportunity in Central Texas."
"We’ve worked closely with BlueAcre Development throughout this process, and we deeply value their commitment to our community," Robert said. "By creating new space for industries to locate and expand here, this project helps lay the foundation for future job growth, long-term capital investment, and the type of economic momentum that strengthens the entire region. For us, this is about building on our city’s strengths and ensuring that Killeen continues to attract the right partners who share our vision for growth and prosperity."
Robert added that the city is using an established tax increment reinvest zone to reimburse the developer for the extension of city wastewater lines to the site.
Blue Acre bills itself as a "land first" full-service real estate firm that focuses on high-growth areas in Central Texas. Other projects it lists in its portfolio include commercial, office and residential, in areas such as Round Rock and Lockhart.
Killeen, which is home to U.S. Army post Fort Hood and more than 156,000 people, has had some success landing companies that work in the Austin area, like MGC Pure Chemicals America Inc. and Dongjin Semichem Texas Inc., both of which are suppliers to Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
The business park is nearing capacity and the EDC recently acquired 94 acres for what it's calling Wolf Technology Park. The city sees an opportunity to attract more suppliers to companies in the metro in a wide range of industries, based on its cheaper land costs, skilled workforce and more affordable housing.
But the biggest challenge for the city has been telling its story, Robert said previously, noting that it can be a struggle to highlight the fact that it has the capacity to grow and do so in a way "that will really shrink the divide" between Killeen and the Austin area.
Killeen also considers its distinct workforce a key attribute. It has about 500 to 800 soldiers coming out of Fort Hood every month, Roberts said, 40% of whom stay in the area. In addition, surveys indicate 17% of those who leave would have stayed if there were more employment opportunities.