The Tesla Gigafactory Party in Austin will be attended by 15,000 people.
Tesla Inc. plans to host a party for 15,000 people to celebrate the opening of the Gigafactory in Austin, which is being opposed by the community and environmental groups.
According to plans submitted to Travis County, which includes Austin, the company intends to offer a two-stage tour with 8 million-square-foot facilities, meals and live music at the invited event on April 7 alone. Despite hearing the testimony of concerned neighbors, the authorities on Tuesday gave their approval.
Paul Defior, a representative of the Colorado River Conservancy and Austin-based environmental justice group PODER, noted the problems of noise, blocked roads, construction dust and water pollution.
“This grand opening is not a substitute for real community engagement,” DiFiore said. “I urge you to consider denying this permission and treat the community in Eastern Travis County as more neighbors and partners than Elon Musk’s staff until Tesla is forced to delay their celebration.”
Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, has several operations in Lone Star State, having recently moved there himself and moved Tesla’s headquarters to Austin last year. In Brownsville, its SpaceX initiative has helped boost the local economy, but has also generated pushbacks from residents who are unhappy with the influx of wealth and the accompanying rise in real estate prices.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
The company held a grand opening ceremony for its first European factory outside Berlin on Tuesday. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
