The process of selecting a design-build firm for a Spaceport at Ellington Airport has begun. Houston Airport System plans to have one under contract by the end of the year.

Contractors were invited to submit statements of qualifications by July 27, Virtual Builders Exchange reports. HAS will develop a short list by Aug. 16, and City Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on a recommendation Dec. 6. The contractor will join the team including Ricondo & Associates, which prepared the master plan, and Reynolds Smith & Hills, which put together design criteria and bridging documents.

The work will focus on infrastructure. The future home of the Spaceport is unoccupied and undeveloped. The statement of qualifications details the need for new streets, water, wastewater, power distribution and communication facilities.

Ellington Airport was selected in June 2015 to become the home of Houston's first spaceport and the 10th in the U.S. What sets Ellington apart is its proximity to NASA Space Center Houston, less than 10 miles away. NASA signed a Space Act Agreement to offers its expertise on the project. Last year, the development's first tenant moved in, establishing a 53K SF co-working space, the Houston Aerospace Support Center.