Gov. Greg Abbott and leaders of Saronic Technologies Inc., which has been eyeing the Port of Brownsville for a $3.2 billion shipyard, are planning what the governor’s office is calling a “major economic development announcement.”
It did not disclose the content of Thursday’s announcement, but Austin-based Saronic has been looking for a site for its Port Alpha, a highly automated shipyard to build medium and large autonomous boats. It promises as many as 10,000 jobs over a phased build-out..
Saronic has also been eyeing sites in Solano County, California, and in Virginia, but the Port of Brownsville is seen as the top contender for the project. Local and state officials have already sweetened the deal with incentive packages worth an estimated $450 million…