SAN MARCOS (KXAN) — In addition to Texas State University, and the outlet malls, and Gary Job Corps, San Marcos is set to get another notch in its economic belt. 

The city announced it will annex 934 acres of land just east of the city, along the Hays and Caldwell County line. The plans for the massive acreage are to turn it into an industrial park – The San Marcos Air Rail and Truck Terminal (SMART). 

“It will be a rail-served industrial park which as we understand is the only one between San Antonio and Temple, Texas,” says Adriana Cruz of the Greater San Marcos Partnership. 

“Our very very conservative estimates are looking at something like 2,500 jobs with the different companies that we are talking to that may be interested in locating to the SMART Terminal,” added Cruz. 

As promising as it sounds, some have expressed concerns about the location of the park – specifically it’s proximity to the San Marcos River. 

“I have two major concern; its 1,250 feet from the San Marcos River – which is a very pristine body of water and fairly important to this community…. The second is the in the last five years, flooding has gotten significantly worse and most think its due to all the development and all the apartment complexes,” says Texas State University History Lecturer Shannon Duffy.

“I’m from New Orleans,” adds Duffy.  “In Hurricane Katrina, we basically had chemical soup, because in addition to the flooding, all of the chemical runoff went into the waterways.”

Mike Schroeder, the developer of the SMART Terminal, did tell KXAN that the Terminal will, “exceed environmental regulations.”

The Terminal has already lured its first client, a construction company called Katerra. Katerra has said it’s arrival to San Marcos will bring in about 500 jobs. 

The city is in the final stages of annexation and no plans for construction have been announced.