News and Media

University of Houston-Victoria sees growth in enrollment even amid pandemic

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

By: Tracey Maness - Houston Chronicle Higher education institutions across the nation have seen a decrease in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the University of Houston-Victoria has experienced a more than 9 percent growth in its preliminary enrollment. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the university reported its preliminary enrollment as approximately 4,970 students, which is a 9.2 percent growth over fall 2019’s enrollment, according a news release. The University of Houston-Victoria at Katy reported that it had approximately 2,340 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled from Harris and Fort Bend Counties. “UHV’s increase in enrollment is an encouraging sign for the university,” UH...

Katy ISD named in 'Forbes Magazine' list of America’s Best Employers by State

Monday, September 14, 2020

By: Nola Valente - Community Impact Katy ISD is one of two Houston-area public school districts to be named as one of the country’s best in-state employers, according to Forbes Magazine’s second annual list of America’s Best Employers by State. "The foundation of our District’s success is the talent, dedication and hard work of our teachers, staff and school community—all of whom contribute to supporting and educating our nearly 84,000 students, every day of the school year,” KISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski said. “As superintendent of this great school district I am honored to be working alongside such an outstanding team." The rankings were compile...

U.S. & Texas Lead the Way in 2020 Global Groundwork Index Rankings

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

By: Adam Bruns - Site Selection Magazine Could infrastructure investment swing the heavy lumber in a comeback from the COVID-19 deficit? If so, there are a few places already poised to leverage past momentum to their competitive advantage. The third annual Global Groundwork Index rankings — a result of Site Selection’s exclusive collaboration with infrastructure advisory and events firm CG/LA in Washington, D.C. — offer a snapshot of which territories are seeing concurrent strong investment trends in infrastructure projects and corporate end-user facility projects. Cross-pollinating raw project data from Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database (for corporate projects) and CG/LA’s similar infrastructure database...

Hurricane Laura Emergency Supplies Drive

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Sunday, August 30, 2020 - Monday, September 14, 2020 Address: The Fellowship, 22765 Westheimer Parkway, Katy, TX US 77450 Contact: Glenn Lerich - glenn@thefellowship.org It is our turn to step up for our neighbors to the east of us. Louisiana helped us during Harvey ... now we can help them with Laura. The Fellowship is a collection point for emergency supplies needed NOW. We are partnering with Katy Responds to get donated supplies. The list is provided below. We have adopted the Hackberry community, which was the ground zero landfall point for the storm and we will be sending teams when all is clea...

Workplace Preparation Webinar and Q&A Session Hosted by Houston Methodist

Tuesday, September 01, 2020

Workplace Preparation Webinar and Q&A Session Thursday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. We have received many questions from employers about best practices for return-to-work, and testing in particular. Join Dr. Victor Fainstein and Brett Brosseau in an open question and answer session. We'll start by answering those questions that we see the most frequently, and will allow ample time for live questions of your own. Please send your questions in advance to ehsrsvp@houstonmethodist.org so that they can be addressed during this webinar. Register Here

Norris Centers opens its newest facility in Katy area

Monday, August 31, 2020

By: Roy Kent - Houston Chronicle Norris Centers recently announced the opening of its news venue in the Houston market, The ARK in Katy. The ARK is a standalone building is located at 21402 Merchants Way in Katy, north of I-10 and east of Mason Road. The facility is available for meetings, corporate usage and social gatherings. It features a large main ballroom with adjacent patio as well as two meeting rooms. This is the sixth facility for Norris Centers, which has been operating conference centers and social venues for more than 30 years in Texas. Related: 2020 census non-response follow up begins i...

New coworking location to open in Katy in 2021

Monday, August 24, 2020

By: Nola Z. Valente Katy's Boardwalk District will become home to a second Ranch Office at Katy location next year. The Ranch Office at Katy will be located at the intersection of Kingsland Boulevard and the AMC Drive entrance to Katy Mills mall, according to an Aug. 17 NewQuest Properties press release. "We feel we've picked a spot that is geographically favorable to the Katy community and located in a booming area with exciting development in the works," Ranch Office founder Michael Haapanniemi said. The grand opening is anticipated to take place by the first quarter of 2021. The Ranch Office at Katy is th...

Christ Clinic’s premiere fundraiser Breakfast for a Blessing goes virtual celebrating 20 years of community blessings

Friday, August 21, 2020

Christ Clinic's Board of Directors is excited to announce its 9th Annual Breakfast for a Blessing - Celebrating 20 years of community blessings. This year’s event, presented by title sponsor Houston Methodist Hospital and hosted by Don McCoy, President of the Katy/Fulshear Chamber will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 8:00 am and will be presented virtually via Christ Clinic's YouTube channel. Breakfast for a Blessing is Christ Clinic’s premiere fundraising event, raising close to $100,000 each year. This year's speaker will be Thomas Goetz, Chief of Research at GoodRx. Thomas is an expert in applying data and desig...

Avison Young leases 16,603 NRSF at 24285 Katy Freeway

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Avison Young today announced the successful lease negotiation of 16,603 NRSF Class A office space in the newly developed Katy Ranch Office Phase 2, located at 24285 Katy Freeway, in Katy, TX to Hoover Material Handling Group, Inc (‘Hoover Ferguson’). Principals Sam Hansen and Doug Pack represented the landlord, Katy Ranch Offices, LP and Management, Freeway Properties on this transaction. “Sam and the Avison Young team have been a pleasure to work with throughout the process of identifying our new office space,” said Matt Schmidt, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hoover Ferguson. “In these unprecedented times, they have provided great flexibility an...

City of Houston Small Business Economic Relief Program (SBERP)

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The Small Business Economic Relief Program (SBERP) provides grants for small businesses in Houston that are in most financial need and exhibit a reasonable likelihood of surviving the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local chambers of commerce are also eligible to apply for the SBERP.

Fort Bend County to Host Virtual Job Fair

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

American Furniture Warehouse opens in Katy

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

By: Nola Valente - Community Impact American Furniture Warehouse opened Aug. 1 at 500 Pin Oak Road, Katy. The business is also expected to bring about 400 jobs to the Katy area and bring in additional sales tax revenue for the the of Katy, Council Member Janet Corte said. "American Furniture Warehouse is going to be a huge boost to our economy," Corte said. "They will be great community partners. ... AFW already partnered with a buyers' group this year to purchase the grand champion steer at the KISD FFA Livestock Auction." Since 1975, American Furniture Warehouse has provided traditional, contemporary and moder...

Magazine poll names UHV best college in Katy for second year in row

Thursday, August 06, 2020

Release by UHV The readers of Living Magazine have once again named the University of Houston-Victoria as Best College/University in Katy/Fulshear for the second year in a row. Readers in the Katy and Fulshear area nominated UHV this summer for the magazine’s annual “Best of” Readers’ Choice awards. The university will be featured on a list of other winners in the August issue of Living Magazine. Readers cast votes by writing in UHV on the online ballots this past spring. “It is an honor to once again receive this recognition from the Katy and Fulshear communities,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “UHV i...

Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital earns Level 3 trauma designation

Monday, August 03, 2020

Media Contact: Jade Waddy (o) 713-242-4789// (713) 984-6804 jade.waddy@memorialhermann.org HOUSTON (Aug. 3, 2020) – Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital has been designated as a Level 3 Trauma Center by the Texas Department of State Health Services after consistently demonstrating its ability to provide advanced trauma life support, evaluation, stabilization and diagnostic services. This designation advanced Memorial Hermann Katy from a Level 4 to a Level 3 Trauma Center. “This designation is an example of how Memorial Hermann Katy takes the lead in serving our community and beyond,” said Heath Rushing, Sr. Vice President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy. “Trauma is recognized as a leading caus...

Katy city council approves major flood mitigation project

Friday, July 31, 2020

By: Claire Goodman - Houston Chronicle Residents of Katy are one step closer to better flood mitigation after Monday’s city council meeting. At the July 27 meeting, city council unanimously voted to award a $3,777,954 contract to Fused Industries, LLC for the improvement to the drainage channel on Patna Drive in the Riceland Terrace subdivision. The Patna Drive drainage improvement project will address better rainwater conveyance from Morton Road through Caloro Street. Notes from a meeting with Ralph Saldana and Stephen Wilcox with Costello Engineering, the firm responsible for the project surveying, state that the project will convert the residential road to ...

TxDOT proposes plans to expand Hwy. 90 lanes between Katy, Brookshire

Thursday, July 30, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Hwy. 90, which runs parallel to I-10, may receive road improvements in the future. The Texas Department of Transportation published a prerecorded virtual public meeting July 28 regarding proposed changes—intended to improve mobility and safety—to 10 miles of the roadway between FM 1463 near Brookshire and I-10 in Katy. If the $113 million in federal funds are secured, construction would start in 2025, according to the presentation. And estimated completion date was not provided. The existing Hwy. 90, excluding a section within the city of Brookshire, is a two-lane undivided roadway for traffic in both directions with n...

BUSINESS FACILITIES' 2020 STATE RANKINGS REPORT: TEXAS TOPS IN BUSINESS CLIMATE. VIRGINIA WEARS CYBER CROWN

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

TINTON FALLS, NJ - July 29 –Texas is the state with the Best Business Climate and Virginia tops the chart of Cybersecurity Leaders in Business Facilities' 16th Annual Rankings Report, released this week. Texas, BF’s 2019 State of the Year, adds to its unmatched portfolio of top awards and rankings from the magazine, including a record four SOTY awards. “Texas has established its hegemony in an impressively diverse array of growth sectors. A rapidly expanding skilled workforce, solid infrastructure, readily available renewable energy and a vibrant innovation ecosystem are just a partial list of the must-haves TX puts on the table fo...

Fort Bend Entrepreneur Initiative launches to provide free consulting services to small businesses

Friday, July 24, 2020

BY: Jen Para - Community Impact Fort Bend County reinforced its commitment to helping small businesses recover from the coronavirus pandemic at a July 23 press conference. In addition to offering a COVID-19 small business assistance grant program, the county launched the Fort Bend Entrepreneur Initiative with consultants Carter & Carter to provide free one-on-one business coaching to small businesses, according to the conference. “We're looking at small businesses, like nail salons, beauticians, barbershops [and] small restaurants,” said Sterling Carter, co-owner of Carter & Carter. “We're wanting to mirror the funds that they're receiving with the education that they need so they ca...

July 2020 Economic Update from GHP

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

By: AJ Mistretta - Greater Houston Partnership The U.S. and Houston area economies are showing tepid signs of recovery on some fronts while other indicators continue to struggle as COVID-19 cases rise. Partnership Senior Vice President of Research Patrick Jankowski provided insight in areas such as jobs, housing and when growth might return in this latest economic update on July 21. Here are a few takeaways: Nationwide, nearly 21 million jobs were lost in March and April. So far, the U.S. has recovered close to 7 million of those jobs, leaving a deficit of about 15 million. From January 2014 to the beginning of this year, the natio...

June Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 8.6 Percent

Sunday, July 19, 2020

July 17, 2020 Media contact: Cisco Gamez Phone: 512-463-8556 Texas Adds 225,200 Non-Farm Positions over the Month AUSTIN - The Texas economy added 243,900 private sector positions over the past month. In June, Texas saw a decrease in the state unemployment rate to 8.6 percent. This is the second consecutive monthly decrease and the lowest rate since March 2020 when the Texas economy was initially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is below the national rate of 11.1 percent. “June’s labor market numbers demonstrate we are moving in the right direction,” said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Bryan Daniel. “As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues t...

July 2020 Port Report

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

PORT REPORT Stay in the loop on all the latest insights, news and happenings at the port. VOLUME 20, ISSUE 4 Port Houston Receives Nearly $80 Million INFRA Grant This June Port Houston was awarded $79,472,000 from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program toward our efforts to restore and improve wharf and yard space at our Barbours Cut Container Terminal. This was the full amount requested for Port Houston's total $198 million project, and possibly the largest amount ever awarded by INFRA to a port. Port Houston Launches Community Grants Program We’re committed to investing in our local community and now we’ve established a ne...

The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities of Mid-Year 2020

Monday, July 13, 2020

July 9, 2020 By Karl Pischke, Vice President , Gregg Logan, Managing Director Total new home sales among those communities tracked in both our 2019 mid-year survey and 2020 mid-year survey are up over 16%, despite the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities (MPCs) in the country sold almost 7% more homes than the communities that made up last year’s Top 50 list (note that those communities that comprise the Top 50 changes from year to year). The Villages retiree-focused community once again claims the top spot in RCLCO’s ranking, along with two other Florida communities tha...

A sneak peek inside American Furniture Warehouse: furniture retailer focuses on community integration, waste reduction

Thursday, July 09, 2020

By: Claire Goodman - Houston Chronicle American Furniture Warehouse, a furniture store featuring traditional, contemporary and modern design, will be opening its doors in August. The store, located at 500 Pin Oak Drive directly off I-10, features a 150,000-square-foot showroom and a 350,000-square-foot warehouse. The furniture store will be bringing new jobs to the area, and city council members also believe its presence will draw in more businesses to the area, which will in turn generate important tax revenue. American Furniture Warehouse also has a strong commitment to waste reduction and recycling. The store’s primary goal is to provide customers with furniture tha...

July 9 Update: Harris County Announces $30 Million Grant Program to Assist Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

Thursday, July 09, 2020

July 9 Update FAQ Sheet Program Overview (English) Program Overview (Spanish) Release provided by Harris County June 30, 2020 Harris County, Texas - June 30, 2020, County Judge Lina Hidalgo and each of the Harris County commissioners voted unanimously to approve the Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF) program, a $30,000,000 grant program established to assist struggling small businesses who have been unable to obtain financial assistance from other COVID-19 relief programs. The program will provide eligible businesses a grant of up to $25,000 to help cover payroll costs, rent, accounts payable and other operating expenses. The SBRF targets businesses with 30 or fewer employees and i...

Crews work on Cane Island Parkway bridge for widening project

Monday, July 06, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Construction is ongoing for a bridge substructure as part of a project to widen Cane Island Parkway from a two-lane road to a four-lane road with a median and drainage improvements between I-10 and FM 1463, county assistant engineer Ike Akinwande said in a June 23 email. Crews completed working on the bridge’s abutment and retaining wall foundations and are now working on the on the intermediate bents, which vertically support the bridge, and retaining walls of the bridge substructure. Timeline: March 2020-first quarter 2021 Cost: $6.4 million Funding source: Fort Bend County Full Story

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR EXPANDED Fulshear COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program

Thursday, July 02, 2020

June 30, 2020: The City of Fulshear has expanded its small business grant program for qualifying Fulshear businesses to include businesses who do not remit sales taxes to the City in addition to those that do. The program will distribute $161,250 in remaining funds available to directly support our City of Fulshear businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. This program is being administered by the City and funded through the City’s two Economic Development Sales Tax Corporations. This second round of applications is open to all businesses, whether or not they remit sales taxes for the City of Fulshear. Businesses who received a grant unde...

Fort Bend County grant program expanded

Wednesday, July 01, 2020

Fort Bend County, TX- The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court expanded the county’s Small Business Emergency Grant Program (SBEGP) to address the financial hardships small businesses have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The $22 million dollars allocated to the program initially has been expanded to total $38 million in available grant money. The funds allocated come from the federal CARES ACT. In addition to the increased funding, Commissioner’s Court expanded eligibility of the program to businesses with revenues from $25,000 to $99,999 and $2,000,001 to $5,000,000 (which were previously excluded from the program) and replaced the single $10,000 grant pe...

Free Webinars and Training from University of Houston

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The University of Houston Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a part of the UH Bauer College of Business, is offering a series of on-demand webinars to grow and manage your business. These webinars—more than 150—are taught by industry professionals and cover such topics as Marketing, Technology, Money and Finance. There also is a section of topics delivered in Spanish. Find more information or register on their website. Additionally, Steven Lawrence, executive director of the SBDC, invites your thoughts on additional business trainings his team can create as resources. *** To help reduce community spread of COVID-19, the University of Houston College o...

How effective is a mask?

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

How effective is a mask?

Houston MBDA Business Center Events

Friday, June 26, 2020

Fort Bend Small Business Grant Program Expanded

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Release by Fort Bend EDC The Fort Bend County Small Business Emergency Grant Program was revised this week in commissioners court, expanding the size of eligible businesses and opening up the process to businesses that HAVE received assistance from other sources, such as the PPP or EIDL programs. The revisions are an effort to assist as many businesses as possible. The court also approved supplementing the program with additional funds, bringing the total amount of available funds in the program to $38 million. There is no minimum on annual revenue requirements and the program was expanded to includes businesses with up t...

Fort Bend County COVID-19 small-business grant program funds increase

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact More businesses in Fort Bend County will be able to receive grant funding to help them cover costs related to the coronavirus pandemic. The Commissioners Court approved in a 4-0 vote an amendment to the Fort Bend County COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program to expand the program, which launched June 15. Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage was absent from the meeting, Under the amendment, the total amount of funds available for small-business grants has increased from $22 million to $38 million, according to the motion read by Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers. An additional $...

Texas Workforce Commission Expands Training Grants

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

June 23, 2020 Media Contact: Cisco Gamez Phone: 512-463-8556 AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) took additional action to promote economic recovery and support the health of all Texans by expanding the eligibility for Skills Development Funds training grants. The Texas Workforce Commission took action to expand the eligibility for Skills Development Fund COVID-19 training to include publicly funded hospitals, small business owners and sole proprietors operating in demand sections. To better address workforce needs, the commission adjusted the prevailing wage threshold to allow Skills Development Fund participants who are training for new jobs to meet the 10 percentile wage level for prevailin...

TWC expands program to ensure all UI claimants have access to skills enhancement services

Monday, June 22, 2020

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has allocated funds to offer rapid skills enhancement opportunities to eligible workers in Texas. This new program includes all individuals receiving Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits during COVID-19 and will provide access to virtual skills enhancement opportunities. Texas has a historic number of UI beneficiaries as a result of COVID-19, which has resulted in an increased need for a range of services to support Texas businesses and workers, including the need to enhance the skills of unemployed Texans so they can prepare to reconnect to the workforce in valuable opportunities made available by Texas employers. Th...

Joint Statement by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza Regarding Enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act

Thursday, June 11, 2020

WASHINGTON—U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza issued the following statement today following the enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act: “We want to thank President Trump for his leadership and commend Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy for working on a bipartisan basis to pass this legislation for small businesses participating in the Paycheck Protection Program. “We also want to express our gratitude to Chairman Rubio, Ranking Member Cardin, Senator Collins, Congressman Roy, Congressman Phillips, and other members of Congress who have helped to create and guide our implementatio...

Fort Bend County Creates $22 Million Small Business Emergency Grant Program

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Fort Bend County, TX- County Judge KP George and the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court today created a Small Business Emergency Grant Program to address the financial hardships our small businesses have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The $22 million dollars allocated to the program comes from the federal CARES ACT. As Fort Bend County gets back to work, County Judge KP George emphasized this initiative targets the small business sector specifically as they often have unique challenges. “Our business community will bounce back, but assistance is needed to get the commercial engine roaring once again. The grant program i...

Jax Grill to open in Katy on Monday, June 8

Monday, June 08, 2020

Gr8 Plate Hospitality will open a new Jax Grill in Katy (9910 Gaston Rd., Suite 200) on Monday, June 8, at Stableside at Falcon Landing in Cinco Ranch. This is the third Jax Grill location in Greater Houston, and the first new location in more than 25 years. The fast-casual counter-service restaurant was established in 1993 in Bellaire and opened a second store on Shepherd Drive in 1994. Gr8 Plate Hospitality owner Paul Miller, who bought Jax Grill in 2015, is a Katy resident. Miller and Gr8 Plate also are gearing up to open a seventh The Union Kitchen at Stableside a...

TxDOT: FM 1093 widening project in Fulshear ‘basically done’

Monday, June 01, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Only a few minor activities remain for the final phase of widening FM 1093 between an upcoming intersection with the Texas Heritage Parkway and James Lane, said Trent Kubena, a general supervisor with the Texas Department of Transportation. “The project is basically done,” he said, stating that some striping, U-turns, shaping of medians and clean-up processes remain. Additionally, the second of two new permanent traffic signals will be activated in the next one to two weeks, he said. The signal at FM 1093 and Bois D’Arc Lane was activated about two weeks ago, but the new signa...

HCC launches new initiative showcasing in-demand occupations and accelerated certificate programs

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Houston Community College (HCC) has launched a new initiative, JobsNowHouston.org, showcasing in-demand occupations and the accelerated certificate programs offered by HCC needed to obtain these jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced more than 1.5 million Texans to file for unemployment. However, across the state, nearly 481,000 job openings have been posted in the last several months. The focus of this initiative is to let Houstonians know that there are jobs available right now, and encourage them to come train at HCC for in-demand industries, such as healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, information technology, and construction. HCC has 270 certifications and 100 instructional programs i...

Governor Abbott Announces Phase Two To Open Texas

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

May 18, 2020 | Austin, Texas | Press Release Governor Greg Abbott today announced the second phase of the State of Texas' ongoing plan to safely and strategically open Texas while minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Under Phase II, restaurants may increase their occupancy to 50% and additional services and activities that remained closed under Phase I may open with restricted occupancy levels and minimum standard health protocols laid out by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Additionally, the Governor announced that public schools in Texas have the option to provide in-person summer school so long as they follow socia...

Community leaders launch Katy Returns to Work Task Force

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact To help local businesses navigate the complexities of reopening their stores, offices, plants and clinics during the coronavirus pandemic, several Katy-area community leaders have started a new program. The Katy Returns to Work Task Force launched May 8, according to a press release from the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. Jeanette Winters of Parrish Partners Leadership is spearheading the program as its chair and facilitator. The task force will support local businesses with resources to help them follow the reopening guidelines directed by local, state and federal COVID-19 regulations to help prevent a second wave of th...

Texas makes room for another Cup in its cabinet

Monday, May 11, 2020

By: Mark Arend - SIte Selection Magazine Texas has lots of economic development bragging rights, not the least of which is its 8th consecutive Site Selection Governor’s Cup for total capital investment projects — it was awarded to Governor Greg Abbott in March. Now it’s claimed another: the 2020 Prosperity Cup, which recognizes the successful business recruitment and retention efforts of state-level economic development efforts. The prize is based on a 10-point index of competitiveness criteria, most of which are based on project data resident in Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database (see Prosperity Points sidebar on facing page). In addition to Sit...

Governor Abbott, OneStar Foundation Announce Texas COVID Relief Fund

Thursday, May 07, 2020

Governor Greg Abbott and the OneStar Foundation yesterday announced the Texas COVID Relief Fund, which will provide critical funding and resources to organizations across the state working on the ground to support the economic recovery of local communities. Funds raised will be distributed through grants focused on the areas of community and economic development, healthcare, and education. Funds will also be used to support local priorities and organizations serving the unmet needs of vulnerable populations and underserved communities. "There is nothing more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and the Texas COVID Relief Fund is another way we can come together t...

Katy Area EDC celebrates National Economic Development Week

Wednesday, May 06, 2020

Katy Area Economic Development Council is marking National Economic Development Week from May 4-9, 2020 to celebrate the contributions of positive economic development and explain the role of the profession in our local community, including stewardship of: Policies that government undertakes to meet broad economic objectives including inflation control, high employment, and sustainable growth. Policies and programs to provide services such as building highways, managing parks, and providing medical access to the disadvantaged. Policies and programs explicitly directed at improving the business climate through specific efforts, business finance, marketing, neighborhood development, business retention and expansion, technology transfer, real estate development and others. Now i...

BP supercomputer to aid global healthcare researchers in race to halt COVID-19

Thursday, April 23, 2020

HOUSTON – BP is joining forces with the U.S. government, leading universities and the world’s largest technology companies by providing access to its supercomputer to help researchers halt the spread of COVID-19. BP will donate its significant supercomputing capability to the public-private consortium formed in March 2020 by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Energy and IBM. The group, known as the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium, will pool resources and expertise from Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, BP and others. They aim to provide COVID-19 researchers worldwide with access t...

The Changing Value of Economic Development: What a Difference a Virus and 60 Days Can Make

Thursday, April 23, 2020

By: Strategic Development Group Just 60 days ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had reached an all-time high, capping off the longest economic recovery in history: 127 months! At the apex of this economic growth, the nation had reached a point of near full employment. Economic developers and their mission to create sustainable jobs and capital investment were increasingly under fire from elements of the media, political factions and existing companies competing for employees. The question of why spend time and money recruiting new businesses when we are struggling to find qualified workers became an endless refrain for many economic developers across th...

Statement from Katy Area EDC regarding establishment of Strike Force to Open Texas

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

For Immediate Release: Katy Area Economic Development Council Lance LaCour 281-396-2200 lancelacour@katyedc.org April 21, 2020 - On Friday, April 17 Governor Greg Abbott announced the Strike Force to Open Texas. According to the Office of the Governor, the Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas will safely and strategically restart and revitalize all aspects of the Lone Star State - work, school, entertainment, and culture. You can learn more about the plan and its parameters here: https://gov.texas.gov/organization/opentexas Below, please find a statement from Katy Area EDC regarding the Strike Force to Open Texas. Governor Greg Abbott recently announced a plan to begin reopening our state. The working group...

Texas Heritage Parkway to break ground May 2020, engineer says

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact After almost a year of delays, crews are expected to break ground on the Texas Heritage Parkway in May. That is according to Gary Gehbauer, an engineer with BGE Inc., who is involved with the project. Once construction begins, Texas Heritage Parkway is expected to take about 13-16 months to complete. The design plans for the Texas Heritage Parkway involve building a 6.4-mile, 200-foot-wide thoroughfare with two lanes in either direction and a median. Additionally, this new north-south road will have a total of 10 roundabouts from I-10 at Pederson Road to McKinnon Road just south of F...

Katy Igloo factory ramps up efforts to send coolers to healthcare workers, pledges profits to CDC

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

By: Rebecca Hennes - Houston Chronicle Igloo Coolers is ramping up efforts at its Katy factory to help send water jugs and Playmate coolers to healthcare workers and first responders at area hospitals and COVID-19 testing sites. The company has enforced "strict new health and safety protocols" to ensure fast delivery of items to healthcare workers, according to a recent Facebook post. In addition to providing supplies for hospitals and testing sites, the company has pledged to donate all online proceeds from Playmate coolers to the CDC Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund, according to a news release. “As a proud American manufacturer, we wan...

Katy-based Igloo, Guy Fieri team up to help restaurant workers affected by COVID-19

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

By: Roy Kent - Houston Chronicle Acclaimed chef Guy Fieri is teaming up with Igloo to produce a limited-edition Playmate cooler to support restaurant employees currently laid off or struggling amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Many restaurants have curtailed service to just take-out, curbside or delivery services with some simply closing until the outbreak is over. Many employees have been idled and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund is helping many of those workers survive in the meantime. “If you don’t have a need for a good cooler, I don’t think you’re having enough fun! When we get through thi...

Governor Abbott, Goldman Sachs, LiftFund Announce $50 Million in Loans For Texas Small Businesses

Monday, April 13, 2020

Release From Office of the Governor Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Goldman Sachs and the LiftFund, along with other community development financial institutions (CDFIs), are partnering to provide $50 million in loans to small businesses in Texas that have been affected by COVID-19 as part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. These loans, made through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), will primarily be used for payroll so that employees can continue to receive paychecks and small businesses can retain their employees and will be partially or wholly forgiven. ...

County pitches loans for small biz

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

By: Zach Despart - Houston Chronicle Gerardo Torres poured his savings into opening the Mesquite Grill, his first restaurant, after decades as a busboy and waiter. Torres and his two partners held a grand opening on Feb. 29 for the Tex-Mex eatery off NASA Parkway, which did brisk business for two weeks. Then the unthinkable happened: Harris County on March 17 restricted restaurants to takeout and delivery to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in crowded dining rooms. “It was like a nightmare,” Torres said. “We saw the (order) come down and it was like, ‘Oh, we never expected this.’ ” The Mesquit...

UH/HCC Engineering Academy at Katy accepting application for Fall 2020

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

The University of Houston (UH) and Houston Community College (HCC) are proud to introduce the UH/HCC Engineering Academy at Katy! The UH/HCC Engineering Academy students are co-enrolled at both institutions from the moment they are accepted into the academy and are official UH Engineering Cougars from the very first day! Students take their core curriculum courses through HCC while taking engineering courses from UH Cullen College of Engineering faculty at the University of Houston at Katy. After completing all academy requirements, students then transition to the UH main campus to complete their bachelor’s degrees in civil, electrical, computer, industrial or mechanical engineering. I...

A look inside the new Urban Air Adventure Park in Katy

Monday, March 09, 2020

By: Claire Goodman - Houston Chronicle The highly anticipated Urban Air Adventure Park- Katy has officially opened. On March 7, the trampoline park, located at 25307 Kingsland Blvd., opened its doors to throngs of eager patrons. The Urban Air facility features a two-story, 31,000 square-foot indoor play area. The park has 16 unique attractions. There are multiple trampoline zones with features like trampoline dodgeball and trampoline basketball. Tubes Playground is a winding maze of tunnels and slides perfect for smaller children. The Sky Rider Coaster is a zip line that hurtles patrons across the park high above the action. In the Ropes Course...

Houston No. 2 Among Major Cities for Corporate Attraction, Investment; Texas Leads Nation

Wednesday, March 04, 2020

By: A.J. Mistretta - GHP Texas is the top state in the country for new economic development projects while Houston scores the No. 2 spot among the nation’s largest cities, according to the latest rankings from Site Selection, a corporate real estate and economic development publication. With 276 qualifying capital expenditure projects in 2019, Houston jumped two spots from fourth place in 2018 among the largest U.S. metros. The Bayou City came in ahead of the Dallas region (261 projects) and Atlanta (145 projects) but behind the Chicago area (416 projects). Texas secured the top spot for the eighth year in ...

City of Katy water tower to feature new mural

Monday, March 02, 2020

By: Claire Goodman - Houston Chronicle The iconic geese murals that adorn the City of Katy’s municipal water tanks will soon have a matching water tank on Franz Road. At Monday’s city council meeting, the council unanimously voted to approve the painting of a similar mural for the water tank located at 6801 Franz Rd. The city has authorized the hiring of Rolf Goetzinger of Artistbrothers to paint the mural on the 500,000 gallon elevated storage tank. Goetzinger also painted the other two towers. City council also authorized the use of $60,250 in water and sewer reserve funds to fund the project. Th...

Katy Area EDC receives EDC 2019 Economic Excellence Recognition

Thursday, February 27, 2020

The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC)announced the recipients of its annual Economic Excellence Recognition program for 2019. The awards were presented at a breakfast held Thursday, February 20, 2020,at the TEDC’s WinterConference. The two and one half-day conference was held February 19-21at the Hilton Hotel in College Station, Texas. The Economic Excellence Recognition program provides recognition to economic development organizations that meet a desired threshold of professionalism. Recipients qualify for recognition based on training taken by their governing board/council as well as the economic development director and professional staff. Certifications, professional memberships and activities, and organizational effectiveness of the economic developmen...

Expanding Katy area higher ed opportunities discussed at February GA

Sunday, February 23, 2020

On Tuesday, February 18, Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its General Assembly meeting at the recently opened University of Houston-Victoria Katy facility (shared with University of Houston). UHV Katy served as the perfect setting for the meeting which centered on higher education opportunities in the Katy area with presentations from host UHV Katy, Houston Community College and University of Houston. HCC leaders Dr. Kathleen Anzivino, College Operation Officer, and Susan Thompson, Director of Engineering & STEM Initiatives Science, Technology, Engineering & Math, provided an update on the new HCC Katy area campus which is expected to break ground in earl...

Katy ISD HS students taking advantage of manufacturing engineering program

Friday, February 21, 2020

By: Melissa Correa - KHOU 11 KATY, Texas — An area high school is providing its students with a learning environment that will help them soar past the competition. A manufacturing and engineering competition. Students in Katy are getting the hands-on training NASA scientists dream about. And, it's all free. "It’s like a robotics class on steroids," Monica Raumaker said. Raumaker and Connor Brown are both seniors and are part of Katy Independent School District's latest Career and Tech Program: Manufacturing Engineering. "It’s awesome. It’s definitely a big opportunity to get work experience before ever going into the workforce," Brown said. The program is boosting college application...

Houston Community College eyes fall 2020 construction start date for new Katy campus

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Houston Community College is a little closer to relocating its Katy campus. HCC plans to break ground on the new campus this September at 228 Colonial Parkway, Katy, HCC College Operations Officer Kathleen Anzivino said at the Feb. 18 Katy Area Economic Development Corp.’s general assembly meeting. HCC aims to open the campus January 2022 and relocate students, instructors and staff from its existing location at 1550 Foxlake Drive, Katy, to the new location, she said. The three-story building will be about 140,000 square feet with capacity for about 7,000 students, Anzivino said in an email. “We’re focusing o...

Fort Bend County to break ground on Fulshear-area public safety substation

Monday, February 17, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Fulshear area will soon have a new public safety substation. The Fort Bend County Precinct 3 commissioner's office is planning a 2 p.m. Feb. 13 groundbreaking ceremony for the new substation located on a 2.3-acre parcel at the northwest corner of FM 1093 and FM 1463, said Robert Pechukas, Precinct 3's manager of policy and administration, in an email. The project is funded by Proposition 4 of 2015 facility bonds. Commissioners Court approved a resolution at the regular Feb. 11 meeting to advance $1.5 million in funding for the property purchase. The new public safety substation i...

Cane Island Parkway widening project to begin spring 2020

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Fort Bend County Engineering Department will soon begin construction on a road in Katy. The county plans to break ground in March on a project to widen Cane Island Parkway between I-10 and FM 1463, said Ike Akinwande, an assistant engineer with Fort Bend County. The project entails widening the two-lane road into a four-lane road with a median and drainage improvements. The $6.3 million project, entirely funded by Fort Bend County, is the second phase for Cane Island Parkway, he said. The first phase extended Cane Island Parkway from I-10 to FM 1463, Akinwande said. Accordin...

Harris County Flood Control District to break ground on wetlands project near Katy Hockley Road

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Harris County Flood Control District will soon start construction on a new flood mitigation project that will benefit the Katy and Cy-Fair areas. The district plans to break ground this spring or summer on the Katy Hockley Wetlands mitigation bank, located near the intersection of Katy Hockley and House and Hahl roads in Cypress, according to a Feb. 6 public meeting held at the Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center. HCFCD expects the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve the design plans any day, said Rick Howard, a project manager and ecologist with SWCA Environmenta...

Grand Parkway projects in Katy area to break ground in 2020

Monday, February 03, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Major projects on the Grand Parkway in the Katy area are expected to break ground in 2020, Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers said. His office is working with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority to widen the Grand Parkway, create new direct connectors and add more frontage roads. “We are now becoming increasingly certain that the first heavy construction will begin moving dirt in 2020,” Meyers said in a Facebook post about the three projects. Plans to widen the Grand Parkway from a four- to six-lane divided highwa...

City of Katy finishes construction on downtown plaza buildings, hosts first event

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

By Nola Z. Valente, Jen Para - Community Impact The Katy Downtown Plaza, located between avenues B and C, is closer to becoming a space that officials expect will draw tourists, shoppers and new businesses. Construction for the civic center and visitors center buildings was completed in October for the Katy Rice Festival, city of Katy Director of Tourism Kayce Reina said. Local organization Keep Katy Beautiful hosted the plaza’s first event Jan. 20 at the civic center, Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris said. “We are very excited to open up the plaza area for public gatherings,” Harris said. “Events like these keep th...

UH Expands Courses, Degree Offerings in Katy, Sugar Land

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

By: Jeannie Kever - University of Houston In a significant move to expand higher educational offerings across the Houston region, the University of Houston has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer three new undergraduate engineering degrees in Katy. The UH Bauer College of Business also will offer upper division classes at the UH at Sugar Land instructional site. “The UH at Katy and UH at Sugar Land instructional sites offer a University of Houston Tier One education to residents across our region in disciplines that are in great demand,” said Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president for academi...

Kramer, Mann Jr. named winners of Stanley Awards at January Katy Area EDC GA meeting

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

One of the Katy area’s newest hotels, Aloft Katy, hosted the January Katy Area Economic Development Council General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, January 21. The event featured the unveiling of the winners of the Fourth Annual Stan C. Stanley “Eagle” Leadership and Economic Development Awards. With well over 100 people in attendance, Marshall Kramer (elected official) and Woody Mann Jr. (volunteer) were named the winners of the prestigious Stanley Awards. Kramer is currently the elected Board President of Harris County ESD #48 and Mann Jr. serves as President of Vista Equities Group and Senior Vice President of Vista Management Company. Both me...

2020 Annual Community Guide: 40 Katy-area restaurants that opened in 2019

Monday, January 20, 2020

By: Community Impact - Jen Para American Bar Louie 2707 Commercial Center Blvd., Ste. M, Katy 281-394- 5480 www.barlouie.com Average entrees: $10-$19.99 Breakfast/brunch Happy hour Kids menu Bombshells Restaurant & Bar 20516 Katy Freeway, Katy 346-322-4805 www.4bombshells.com Average entrees: $10-$19.99 Happy hour Kids menu Chick-fil-A 6635 FM 1463, Katy 281-392-1617 www.chick-fil-a.com Average entrees: Up to $9.99 Breakfast/brunch Kids menu Chicken Salad Chick 21788 Katy Freeway, Ste. 900, Katy 832-307-3526 www.chickensaladchick.com Average entrees: Up to $9.99 Kids menu Fusion Grill 1453 S. Mason Road, Katy 832-340-1074 www.facebook.com/FusionGrill.TX/ Average entrees: $10-$19.99 Kids menu Grub Kitchen and Bar 19143 Katy Freeway, Ste. 100, Houston 281-800-9555 www.grubkitchenandbar.com Average entrees: Up to $9.99 Happy hour Kids menu Hat Creek Burger Co. 5820 FM 1463, Fulshear 346-707-1770 www.hatcreekburgers.com Average entrees: Up to $9.99 Breakfast/brunch Kids menu Hat Creek Burger Co. 2150 S. Mason Road, Katy 346-332-0770 www.hatcreekburgers.com Average entrees: Up to $9.99 Breakfast/brunch Kids menu In-N-Out Burger 1010 Katy Fort Bend Road...

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games brings thrilling attractions and racing experiences to Katy, Texas

Monday, January 13, 2020

By: The Katy News KATY, TEXAS (January 7, 2020) – Andretti Indoor Karting and Games, an Orlando-based entertainment facility will bring high-speed electric superkarts, laser tag, mini golf, VR gaming, arcade games, a ropes course, unique dining, legendary event space and much more to Katy, Texas when it opens on March 3, 2020. The entertainment and gaming center is located adjacent to the newly opened University of Houston Katy campus and Katy Asian Town at the corner of Grand Parkway and Interstate 10. Named after the legendary racing family, Andretti Indoor Karting and Games offers nearly 88,000 square feet of fast paced adventure and experiences. FEATURES AN...

Here are 10 Katy-area restaurants planning to open in 2020

Sunday, January 12, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact By the end of 2019, the Katy area saw more than 50 restaurant, dessert and cafe openings, according to a Community Impact Newspaper analysis. Here are 10 dining options that are expected to open in 2020. Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen: This Tex-Mex restaurant plans to open in 2020 at 230 W. Grand Parkway S., Katy, said Lindi Vineyard, part of the Gingo’s Guest Obsessed Team, in an email. The eatery offers a menu with fajita bowls, tacos and margaritas. www.gringostexmex.com Katy Crossing Icehouse: In August, Katy Crossing Icehouse said it was coming soon to 5733 Second St., Katy...

Here's a peek inside the new indoor gaming, entertainment facility headed for Katy

Sunday, January 12, 2020

By: Rebecca Hennes - Houston Chronicle A new gaming facility set to open in the Katy area this year will offer more than 80,000 square feet of fast-paced entertainment such as electric super-karts, arcade games and virtual reality attractions. Andretti Indoor Karting & Games will open March 3 at 1230 Grand West Boulevard, Katy, according to a release. Established in 2001, the Orlando-based company's newest Texas location is seeking to fill approximately 350 positions before its grand opening. Attractions include a two-story laser tag battlefield, more than 80 state-of-the-art arcade games, an indoor high adventure ropes course, virtual reality games and high-tech mini-golf. Th...

METRO conducts study to examine eliminating ride fares

Sunday, January 12, 2020

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County has conducted a study that is examining eliminating ride fares, METRO Media Director Tracy Jackson said. The preliminary results of the study, which began in January 2019, will be presented to the board and the public at the board’s finance and audit committee meeting Jan. 15 at 1:30 p.m., Jackson said. At that time, the committee will determine the next steps, such as collecting additional data. The results will show several free-fare scenarios and their implications to help the board come to a decision, Jackson said. Some scenarios that may b...

Texas Is Business Facilities’ 2019 State Of The Year

Sunday, January 05, 2020

By: Business Facilities Texas has been named Business Facilities’ 2019 State of the Year, becoming the first state to win BF’s top honor for the fourth time. The Lone Star State won the magazine’s inaugural SOTY designation in 2007; Texas also was BF’s State of the Year winner in 2012 and 2016. The top five Texas projects in terms of capital investment last year brought a tidal wave of more than $30 billion in capex to TX, while the top five job-creating projects netted nearly 15,000 direct new jobs. “As we ring in 2020, it’s time to acknowledge that Texas has by far been th...

Katy advances Boardwalk project

Saturday, January 04, 2020

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle Construction of a hotel/conference center could be under way in the Katy Boardwalk by June for a late fall 2021 opening. An agreement with Centerpoint Energy Houston Electric approved Dec. 9 by Katy City Council will bring electricity to the Katy Boardwalk. A resolution adopted by City Council authorizes the Katy Development Authority to add as a project the construction of an underground ductbank along the Katy Boardwalk District. Consulting engineers Binkley & Barfield Inc. recommended the authority award a construction contract for the underground ductbank installation to TCH Directional Drilling at a cost of approximately $2.8 million...

Insite Realty and OT&C presentations highlight December GA

Friday, December 27, 2019

The Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its last General Assembly meeting of 2019 on Tuesday, December 17 at Embassy Suites Houston West - Katy. InSite Realty and Oilfield Testing and Consulting served as keynote presenters for the meeting. InSite Realty, a Katy Area EDC member, shared information on its current commercial real estate offerings in the Katy area. Cane Island Business Center and Clay Road Commerce Park, both Insite developments, offer excellent options for companies looking to grow in the Katy area. Cane Island Business Center features two buildings for lease located in in West Ten Business Park totaling 277,00...

On the Move: The allure of Katy draws newcomers

Monday, December 23, 2019

By: Michelle Sandlin - Houston Chronicle Katy has long been one of the most popular suburban locations for people who are moving to the greater Houston area. And the allure is simple: Katy offers excellent schools, amenity-rich master-planned communities and neighborhoods, close proximity to the Energy Corridor, and increased access to the many other business centers throughout the region. Once considered a prominent location for residents who were connected to the oil and gas industry, today Katy boasts of a diverse economy that is fueled by much more than the energy sector. In recent years, the Katy area has been the recipient o...

See how population growth stacks up in the six Katy-area ZIP codes

Thursday, December 19, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Katy area continues to grow while residents are paying more for housing, according to new five-year population estimates. The U.S. Census Bureau released the latest American Community Survey five-year estimates for 2014-18 on Dec. 19. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the annual data release “helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities.” The following information is sourced from the 2014-18 American Community Survey. Any comparisons over time were made using the 2009-13 five-year ACS. Population increases The Katy area’s six ZIP codes—77094, 77441, 77449, 77450, 77493 and 77494—all showed increase...

More warehouse growth comes to Katy

Sunday, December 08, 2019

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle In the past two years warehouse deals involving more than 6 million square feet occurred in the Katy area, according to Ken Sager, vice president of EastGroup Properties. He and David Hudson, vice president of leasing and development of Duke Realty, talked of continued growth at the Nov. 19 general assembly of the Katy Area Economic Development Council. Developer of Ten West Crossing, EastGroup has expanded its focus to Grand Crossing Business Park, a 33-acre site south of Clay Road and west of the Grand Parkway. Groundbreaking for the first of six buildings on the site i...

Fort Bend Commissioners Court OKs joint agreement to build connector roads from Westpark Tollway to Grand Parkway

Sunday, December 01, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact A mobility project to build direct connectors from east- and westbound Westpark Tollway to northbound Grand Parkway is moving forward. In a 4-0 vote, the Fort Bend County Commissioners approved a joint agreement to construct these direct connectors at the Nov. 26 court meeting. Judge K.P. George was absent. These connectors are needed “to alleviate traffic congestion and related public safety concerns,” according to the agreement document. The joint agreement is between Fort Bend County, Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority, Fort Bend Grand Parkway Toll Road Authority and Fort Bend County Assistance Districts Nos. 1 and 9. Unde...

Industrial parks planned near Grand Parkway, Clay Road intersection in Katy area

Sunday, December 01, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Two industrial parks are planned for the intersection of the Grand Parkway and Clay Road in the Katy area plan to break ground in the first quarter of 2020. Duke Realty has begun construction on a 433,300-square-foot building for its Clay 99 project, said David Hudson, Duke Realty’s vice president of leasing and development, at the Katy Area Economic Development Council Nov. 18 general assembly meeting. The building will finish construction in the first quarter of 2020. Meanwhile, EastGroup Properties’ Grand West Crossing development, located immediately south of Clay 99, will begin construction on a 120,600-square-foot buildin...

EastGroup Properties, Duke Realty provide updates on Katy area properties at November GA

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The headquarters of Members Choice Credit Union played host to the November Katy Area Economic Development Council General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, November 19. The monthly meeting, which brings together Katy Area EDC members, community leaders and elected officials, was highlighted by presentations from two area commercial real estate firms and Katy Area EDC members, EastGroup Properties and Duke Realty. Kevin Sager, representing EastGroup, gave an overview of the CRE company which currently has 6.3 million square feet of space in 75 buildings and 8 business parks within the Katy area. Two highlight properties in the EastGroup portfolio include Ten Wes...

In-N-Out Burger opening Katy-area restaurant Nov. 22

Thursday, November 21, 2019

By: Community Impact In-N-Out Burger plans to open Nov. 22 at 1010 Katy-Fort Bend Road, Katy, according to a Nov. 21 press release. Steve Schneider is managing the location, which has one drive-thru lane and seating for nearly 75 people. The California-based brand is also opening a location on Nov. 22 in Stafford. These are the first two locations of the chain in the Greater Houston area. In-N-Out offers a menu of burgers, fries and shakes. 800-786-1000. www.in-n-out.com Full Story

GIS technology enhances property searching on Katy Area EDC website

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Finding a location for your business has never been easier, whether it’s a new building or a new location. Using the GIS Planning Tool provides you with multiple options so you can tailor the search to fit your needs. GIS software (Geographic Information System) combines rich data on available real estate with demographics for local communities while letting you search between Buildings, Sites, Businesses, and Communities. Internal filters let you drill down deeper into the data to create custom reports based on your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for office, retail, industrial or commercial sites, searching for your next location our GI...

Houston region may account for majority of economic gains in Texas

Sunday, November 17, 2019

By: Greater Houston Partnership Houston's economy has been consistently growing at a steady pace, and one expert says if it continues, the area could account for as much as 30% of the economic gains in Texas over the next 25 years. That’s according to a new analysis from Texas economist Ray Perryman. Based on current expectations, real gross product in Houston could grow as much as 3.13% annually - or more than 75% - through 2045, which would add more than $667 billion to the state’s economy. That’s more than any other Texas metro, with the Dallas region expected to make up 24% of growth, followed by Austin a...

Katy Mills Mall will be completely transformed by the end of the year

Sunday, November 17, 2019

By: Rebecca Hennes - Houston Chronicle Longtime customers of Katy Mills probably remember the mall's funky interior carpets, bright-colored decorations and huge stars located directly outside of the entrance. Since it first opened on Oct. 28, 1999, Katy Mills has become the No. 1 most visited location in the City of Katy, according to representatives with Simon Malls. The mall recently underwent a major interior transformation, modernizing the city's most popular shopping destination with a brighter, more upscale look. Interior renovations (which representatives would not provide a price tag for) include an updated dining pavilion, new seating throughout the property, movie theater courtyar...

Repairing Clay, Porter roads; widening Peek, Gaston roads: 4 Katy-area transportation updates to know November 2019

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

By: Jem Para - Community Impact Completed projects Traffic signal installation Harris County installed a new traffic signal system at the intersection of Morton Ranch and Porter roads. The system was activated in early November, Harris County engineer Jennifer Almonte said. Timeline: August-November Cost: $310,000 Funding source: Harris County Ongoing projects Gaston Road widening All lanes of Gaston Road between Greenbusch Road and Katy Flewellen Road are expected to be open to the public by Thanksgiving, said Ike Akinwande, Fort Bend County assistant engineer. The county has been working on widening the street into a four-lane, divided concrete road with underground stormwater drainage since last summer. Remaining work include...

With bond funding secured, METRO officials announce next steps

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

By; Shawn Arrajj - Community Impact With $3.5 billion in bonding authority secured, officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County have a lot of work to do. Some of METRO's top brass gathered at a press conference Nov. 6—following an Election Day that saw the agency's bond pass with just under 68% of voter approval—to discuss the next steps in the process of making a reality the 40 or so projects that are slated to be funded with bond money. The money will help fund projects in the agency's $7.5 billion METRONext Moving Forward Plan, which calls for 75 miles o...

VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa to open in 2020 in Cinco Ranch

Monday, November 11, 2019

By: Roy Kent - Houston Chronicle Residents of the Cinco Ranch area will have a new place to get fit when VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa opens its doors. The facility is projected to open in early 2020. “We are thrilled to continue expanding the unique VillaSport brand in the Houston-area with the addition of our new Cinco Ranch athletic resort,” said Joseph Syufy, CEO of VillaSport, in a news release. “The new location is a perfect fit for the community, with an emphasis on catering to families and their everyday needs.” The fitness chain is building its third club in the Housto...

Sweet 16: Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital Awarded 16 Consecutive Straight ‘A’s in The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Thursday, November 07, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT: Drew Munhausen Drew.Munhausen@memorialhermann.org (281) 684-0984 KATY, TEXAS (Nov. 7, 2019) – The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care, today announced the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades and has once again awarded Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital an ‘A’ for achieving the highest national standards in patient safety. Memorial Hermann Katy is one of only 36 hospitals in the United States and one of only two in Texas to be awarded an ‘A’ every grading cycle since 2012. “Patient safety is a priority at Memorial Hermann Katy, and our employees and affiliated physicians g...

Katy ISD reveals designs for outdoor learning center renovations

Sunday, November 03, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Construction will begin soon on renovations for the Katy ISD Welch Outdoor Learning Center. At an Oct. 28 meeting, the KISD board of trustees approved the design plans for changes to the center, located about 0.25 miles west of the Katy ISD administration building at 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy. The total cost of the project is $6.9 million, and it is being funded through the 2017 voter-approved $609.2 million bond. Lisa Kassman, KISD executive director of Facilities, Planning and Construction, gave a presentation of the design plans at the meeting. Construction is expected to begin a...

Memorial Hermann Sports Park Opens in Katy

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT: Drew Munhausen // 713-704-5547 drew.munhausen@memorialhermann.org Memorial Hermann Sports Park Opens in Katy Release provided by Memorial Hermann KATY (Oct. 22, 2019) – Memorial Hermann Sports Park, a new 50,000-square-foot sports medicine and human performance facility on the campus of Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, is now open. The facility is a collaboration between Memorial Hermann, UT Physicians and Athlete Training and Health (ATH) to provide a full range of medical care and performance training for professional athletes, youth athletes, and active adults. Memorial Hermann Sports Park recently hosted a grand opening event featuring an open house for the community and a ribbon cutting presente...

Texas Bullet Train presentation headlines October Katy Area EDC GA meeting

Monday, October 21, 2019

On Tuesday, October 15 Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its monthly General Assembly meeting at the Embassy Suites West Houston-Katy near Park Ten. The meeting was highlighted by David Hagy of Texas Central Railway, the organization which is developing the bullet train project connecting Houston and Dallas. Hagy, who made a return to his second Katy Area EDC meeting in the past year, served as the meeting’s headliner providing information on the planned Texas Bullet Train. According to Texas Central, the private company leading the development of the project, the approximately 240-mile high-speed rail line linking Houston and Dallas will offe...

FM 1093, I-10 widening: 4 Katy-area transportation updates to know October 2019

Saturday, October 19, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Here are updates to four road projects in the Katy area. Ongoing projects Gaston Road widening Crews have nearly finished widening Gaston Road into a four-lane divided concrete road between Greenbusch Road and Katy Flewellen Road, Fort Bend County assistant engineer Ike Akinwande said. In early October, crews were preparing to construct driveways at the Willow Lake Apartments and wiring a new traffic signal. Remaining work for the project includes concrete paving between Meadow Lane and Katy Flewellen, median backfill and building a retaining wall along sidewalks east of Greenbusch. Timeline: July 2018-October 2019 Cost: $6.8 million Funding source: Fort Ben...

Katy Area Economic Development Council hires 2 team members

Saturday, October 19, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Katy Area Economic Development Council has added two new faces to its team. Angie Thomason is the EDC’s new manager of membership, business retention and special projects, according to an Oct. 14 press release. Debbie Morris will perform administrative duties and assist with projects. Before coming to the Katy Area EDC, Thomason was the vice president of management and marketing/business development at Westbound Bank, per the release, and she has been involved with the chambers of commerce in Katy and Cy-Fair. Morris, meanwhile, more recently serviced as the port director of Matagorda County Navigation District No. 1...

Katy is now home to one of six Pepperl+Fuchs distribution centers in the world

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact Pepperl+Fuchs, a German company that specializes in industrial sensor and explosion protection technologies, held a ribbon-cutting for its new U.S. distribution center in Katy on Oct. 15. The new center in Katy is one of six locations worldwide, located in England, Germany, China, Australia and Italy. Pepperl+Fuchs is a global company specializing in design, manufacture and application of factory process automation and services. Katy was chosen as a location for the new 110,000-square-foot center due to the prominence of the oil and gas industry in the area, according to a press release. “You might wonder why w...

Memorial Hermann Sports Park in Katy hosted grand opening Oct. 12

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

By: Claire Allbright - Community Impact Memorial Hermann Sports Park, a new space constructed via a partnership between Memorial Hermann Health System and Athlete Training and Health, celebrated its grand opening Oct. 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. The $15 million facility offers medical care and athletic training for athletes of all ages and levels. Located at 23960 Katy Freeway, Katy, the 50,000-square-foot, two-story facility consists of the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute; a Memorial Hermann Medical Group primary care clinic; and an ATH training center with an adult fitness space, a weight room an...

University of Houston System hosts ribbon-cutting for new Katy-area campus

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The University of Houston System celebrated the opening of its newest campus in the Katy area. The University of Houston at Katy and the University of Houston-Victoria at Katy held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the debut of the a new shared 80,000-square-foot facility located at 22400 Grand Circle Blvd., Katy. Classes began in mid-August. Along with university leadership, UH System Chancellor Renu Khator spoke to the 150 people in attendance about the role the two universities will play in the Katy area to help meet local workforce needs and thanked those that began planning for th...

Katy Area EDC hires Angie Thomason, Debbie Morris

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Katy Area Economic Development Council is proud to announce the addition of two new team members, Angie Thomason and Debbie Morris. Thomason (pictured left) will serve as Manager, Membership, Business Retention and Special Projects while Morris will handle administrative duties and provide project-related assistance. Both will serve to support the organization's vision of making the Katy area the location of choice for companies and families. Thomason brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Katy area community to her new role. Prior to joining Katy Area EDC, Thomason was employed by Guaranty Bank & Trust where she was a Vic...

First of 6 new medical centers coming to the Greater Houston Area unveiled in Katy area

Monday, October 14, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact The Katy area is now home to the first out of the six advanced primary care medical centers coming to the Greater Houston Area. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Sanitas Medical Center hosted a grand opening for Sanitas Medical Center of Texas-Katy at 2610 N. Mason Road, Katy, which will service BCBSTX cardholders and accept self-pay patients and seniors with traditional Medicare coverage. “Health care has found a home in Katy partly because we are a growing area with a great quality of life,” said Katy Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris. “Over 300,000 peopl...

States with the most people moving to Texas

Tuesday, October 08, 2019

By: Taylor Pettway - Houston Chronicle Texas was ranked the second most populous state in the country by the 2018 U.S. Census, and the state has also seen a large influx of people moving to the Lone Star state. With 28.7 million people recorded in the state in 2018, Texas saw a 1.3 percent increase in population between 2017 and 2018. And that growth could be attributed to the large populations of people moving to Texas from around the country. In a study done by Esri, a mapping and data analytics company, most of Texas's newest residents came from California and Florida durin...

Officials talk flooding, urge support of Proposition 8 at Houston Stronger panel

Monday, October 07, 2019

By: Shawn Arrajj - Community Impact Representatives from several flood control agencies provided updates at an Oct. 2 forum on a variety of Houston area projects ranging from Addicks Reservoir to the Texas coast. The panel was hosted by Houston Stronger, a coalition of civic and business groups advocating for flooding solutions in the Greater Houston area. The organization has worked with members of the Texas Legislature, Harris County Flood Control District and the city of Houston to advance flood recovery projects in the past, and representatives from each of those arenas were present at the event. A theme throughout the panel discussio...

Construction begins on Katy-area office development

Thursday, October 03, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact New office units are coming to the Katy area. The Oaks at Mason Office Park is located at 2023 N. Mason Road, Katy, in the Katy Medical District, near the University of Houston campus and Academy Sports + Outdoors corporate office. All units will range from 1,320-6,600 square feet and include two bathrooms, at least three offices, a reception area, a conference room, a break room and a kitchen, said Tim Sojka, CEO and part-time listing agent at See Tim Sell, the real estate agency representing The Oaks at Mason Office Park. The site features an outdoo...

Fort Bend County Drainage District accepts $48M in federal grant money

Saturday, September 28, 2019

By:Jen Para - Community Impact Three channels in the Katy, Sugar Land and Missouri City areas have received federal grant money for erosion-repair projects related to Hurricane Harvey and Tax Day Flood damages. At the Sept. 24 meeting, the Fort Bend County Drainage District board of directors accepted $48.4 million in grant funds for Willow Fork channel, Cane Island channel and Oyster Creek from the U.S. Department of Agriculture agency Natural Resources Conservation Service. A local match from the county is required, totaling about $5 million. The upcoming Nov. 5 flood bond referendum will help pay for the county’s share of the projects...

Katy Area EDC celebrates local manufacturing industry on MFG Day

Friday, September 27, 2019

Each year on the first Friday in October, and with events continuing throughout the month, MFG Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. This year, the day of recognition will officially take place on Friday, October 4. In the Katy area, a variety of manufacturers are thriving across a wide variety of industries. Manufacturers like Igloo, Schlumberger, Sercel, TMEIC, Pepperl+Fuchs and Vahle along with over 330 other manufacturers that employ over 13,000 people, call the Katy area home...

City of Katy OEM presentation headlines September Katy Area EDC GA

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

On Tuesday, September 17, Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its September General Assembly meeting at the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) corporate office. The monthly meeting brings together Katy Area EDC members and community leaders to discuss relevant topics related to business and development in the Katy area. The September GA featured several presentations including two focusing on emergency preparedness and disaster recovery from the City of Katy Office of Emergency Management and Katy Responds. To begin the meeting, Downy Vickery, longtime Katy Area EDC member was honored for his service to the organization. Vickery has served with Kat...

Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital Earns National Recognition for Quality and Safety

Monday, September 23, 2019

By: Evan Koch – Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital was one of three Memorial Hermann Health System hospitals to earn national recognition as a top performer for excellence in delivering high-quality care by the Vizient Quality and Accountability Ranking at the 2019 Vizient Connections Education Summit in Las Vegas on Sept. 19. Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital received the 2019 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award for Complex Care Medical Centers and ranked sixth nationally of 82 participating hospitals in that category. “This incredible award recognizes the commitment that our employee partners, physician partners, and volunteer partners make every day to providing safe, hig...

Porter Road finished, Gaston Road work continues: 4 Katy-area transportation updates to know September 2019

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Completed Projects Porter Road reconstruction Porter Road between Franz Road to Morton Ranch Road is now open to traffic in both directions on new concrete. Crews finished the project at the end of August, Harris County engineer Jennifer Almonte said. The 20-foot-wide, asphalt Porter was reconstructed into a 28-foot-wide, concrete roadway with an underground storm sewer system. The project was divided into two segments that crews worked on simultaneously. Timeline: September 2018-August 2019 Cost: $4.6 million Funding source: Harris County Ongoing projects Gaston Road widening Gaston Road is being widened from a two-lane asphalt road to a four-lane divided concrete road with undergroun...

Cross Creek Ranch to deliver nearly 500 homesites within Katy ISD by end of year

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact Cross Creek Ranch is developing its final homesites within Katy Independent School District. The community located at the crossroads of FM 1463 and FM 1093, has delivered 291 homesites in 2019, and has another 180 planned for development by the end of the year, according to a press release. “We expect to be completely built out on the Katy ISD side of Cross Creek Ranch by the end of 2020,” said Rob Bamford, general manager of Cross Creek Ranch. “The remaining neighborhoods are all near the shared junior high and high school campus under construction no...

Encompass Health announces opening of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Katy in Texas

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) announces the opening of its 133rd inpatient rehabilitation hospital, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Katy. Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Katy Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Katy, located at 23331 Grand Reserve Drive in Katy, a suburb of Houston, Texas, welcomed its first patient this morning. The freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital includes 40 private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym featuring advanced technologies, a four-chair dialysis suite, an activities of daily living suite, courtyard, dining room and dayroom areas. Care will be provided by highly specialized nurses, therapists and physicians. Complementing local acute care services, the hospital will car...

City of Katy provides update on Katy Boardwalk, downtown plaza, Katy Mills and drainage projects

Monday, September 09, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The city of Katy is busy with several projects across its city limits. City of Katy Mayor Bill Hastings and Kayce Reina, city of Katy director of tourism and marketing, provided updates on Katy Boardwalk, Katy Downtown Plaza, Katy Mills and drainage projects at the Aug. 28 Fulshear Katy Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting. Katy Boardwalk Work is progressing on the Katy Boardwalk, a 169-acre, mixed-use development on Kingsland Boulevard across from Katy Mills, Reina said. The Boardwalk Lofts, a 319-unit apartment complex, started construction, and a parking garage can been seen from Kingsland Boulevard, Reina said. The Hyatt Regenc...

Fulshear’s Cross Creek Town Center signs new tenants

Monday, September 09, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact The Woodlands-based commercial real estate company Marcel Group announced three new businesses coming to Fulshear through the Cross Creek Town Center development located at 6635 W. Cross Creek Bend Lane, Fulshear, within Houston-based Johnson Development Corp.’s master-planned community Cross Creek Ranch. The 10.47-acre mixed-use development signed three new tenants. One tenant is Experience Infusion Center, a pharmacy specializing in home health and IV infusion therapy, leased 12,300 square feet, and Apex Executive Suites, a co-working space concept by Marcel, will occupy 14,410 square feet of Class A office space, per the release. A specialty gym franchise focusin...

Higher education expansion to help Katy-area economy

Thursday, September 05, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The University of Houston System opened a new Katy-area campus mid-August, and local experts said this investment in the local community is expected to positively affect the Katy-area economy. The Katy Area Economic Development Council estimates the new campus—which is shared by University of Houston at Katy and University of Houston-Victoria at Katy—will have an initial estimated $56 million in economic impact output over the next five years based on the first phase of the campus, located at 22400 Grand Circle Blvd., Katy. Graduating students will become a homegrown workforce, trained to fulfill jobs at Katy an...

Houston Community College-Katy adding engineering academy through partnership with University of Houston-Katy

Wednesday, September 04, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Katy-area students interested in becoming engineers will soon be able to take freshman and sophomore classes at Houston Community College-Katy’s new engineering academy. HCC-Katy and the University of Houston-Katy signed a memorandum of understanding July 15 to partner and offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in engineering, HCC Northwest President Zachary Hodges confirmed. Interested students can apply for the academy beginning this fall, and courses will begin in fall 2020. HCC-Katy will accept a cohort of 100 students into the engineering academy each semester, Hodges said. Under the partnership, freshman- and sophomore-level engineering students will be dual enrolled a...

Port Houston talks trade, tariffs and trade zones at Katy Area EDC GA

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Members and guests gathered at Members Choice Credit Union corporate office on Tuesday, August 20 for the Katy Area Economic Development Council August General Assembly meeting. The meeting featured a presentation from Shane Williams of Port Houston and an economic development update from Katy Area EDC President/CEO Lance LaCour. Shane Williams, Economic Development Director with Port Houston, provided an overview of activity at one of the world’s leading ports, Port Houston. According to Williams, the port continues to experience tremendous growth, particularly in the container sector with a sharp increase in volume since 2016. The increase in container-related traffic at th...

Katy Ranch Offices Phase 2 breaks ground, to deliver in summer 2020

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact Real estate company Avison Young held a groundbreaking ceremony July 18 on the new six-story office building for Phase 2 of the Katy Ranch Offices. The development, which is available for preleasing, is located at 24279 Katy Freeway, Katy, and will be completed by summer 2020. It will include a skybridge to link the existing garage constructed during Phase 1 to the new building’s main lobby, where conference and training rooms will be available as well as catering space, according to a press release. The existing five-story garage will be expanded to accommodate more than 1,000 spaces...

Kelsey-Seybold to develop clinic at Grand Morton Town Center

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact Houston-based Kelsey-Seybold has leased 3.77 acres to develop a clinic at the Grand Morton Town Center, located at the intersection of SH 99 and Morton Ranch Road in Katy, according to a press release. The land, leased from NewQuest Properties, will accommodate the two-story, 37,000-square-foot clinic, but the multispecialty clinic system secured enough land to expand the Kelsey-Seybold Morton Ranch Clinic by 17,000 square feet in the future, according to the release. “It’s convenient for patients to have retail and restaurants within walking distance of a medical facility of this size and caliber,” said Ashley Strickland...

Katy-area governments invest in emergency readiness 2 years after Hurricane Harvey

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact Since Hurricane Harvey devastated the Greater Houston area in August 2017, Katy-area governments have improved their emergency preparedness for the next big flood. Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties as well as the cities of Katy and Fulshear have trained staff to use newly acquired equipment, such as high-water vehicles and swift-water boats, to help save more people in the event of a future flood. Additionally, area counties have continued to improve communication with all regional entities, enhance alert systems and update emergency plans to be better prepared for immediate emergency response. “Were there some things tha...

No Label Brewing Co. produces ‘beers everyone can enjoy,’ co-founder says

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact A few things have changed at No Label Brewing Co. since it sold its first barrel of beer in December 2010, co-founder Jennifer Royo said. The business sells to-go beer from the taproom and switched from bottles to cans. A playground and bathrooms were added, and the layout was rearranged. The brewery also produces a larger variety of beers. “Our head brewer wanted to do small, experimental batches at the taproom, such as our peanut butter and chocolate beer,” Jennifer said. “Things you can only get here.” She, her husband, Brian, and his parents founded the brewery togethe...

UHV chosen as best college in Katy by magazine poll

Monday, August 26, 2019

By: UHV Media Office KATY – Readers of Living Magazine have named the University of Houston-Victoria the Best College/University in the Katy and Fulshear area. More than 30,000 Katy and Fulshear area readers submitted votes for the magazine’s 2019 Best of Katy/Fulshear Readers’ Choice, which came out Aug. 1, said Sharon Hilburn, a Living Magazine account executive. “Receiving this recognition of our university is exciting,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “We are grateful for the support from the Katy and Fulshear communities and look forward to serving them at our new instructional site this fall and for years to come.” The University of Houston-Victori...

Commercial development coming to residential area in Katy

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

By: Nola Z. Valente - Community Impact A development will expand the commercial corridor of northwest Fort Bend County. Archstone Real Estate LLC purchased 3 acres of land from local investors Farid R. Bakht and John R. Bakht to develop a retail and office project in Katy on Aug. 5. The development will be at the corner of Kingsland Boulevard and Main Street, and the site will support roughly 18,000 square feet of commercial space, according to a press release. Glenn Dickerson, the vice president of Houston-based NewQuest Properties, represented the local seller in a direct deal with Archstone. “This area of Katy is stron...

Submarket Spotlight: Katy Area

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

By: by A.J. Mistretta - Greater Houston Partnership Located about 30 miles west of Downtown Houston, Katy sits at the nexus of Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties. The city, which had an estimated population of just over 18,000 in 2017, is known for its picturesque residential communities that serve as home to employees working along the Energy Corridor and beyond. The one-time railroad town and the area surrounding it is today a hub of retail and industrial development thanks in part to ongoing highway and infrastructure improvements. We discussed Katy’s evolution with Lance LaCour, president and CEO of the Katy Area Economic Developmen...

Houston Facts 2019 report tracks the metro area’s growth: Here are 12 takeaways

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

By: Alex Hosey - Community Impact The Greater Houston Partnership released Houston Facts 2019, a compilation of data that covers Houston’s demographics, economic growth and more, at a networking and presentation event on Aug. 6. Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership, said the publication has been around for decades and has helped provide an accurate look at changes in Houston year after year. “When you look at Houston Facts, it’s facts,” Jankowski said. “It’s no spin, no varnish, no tweaking. If you want the unvarnished truth about Houston, you can pull it up in this publication. We wan...

First Street to reopen, FM 1093 widening update: 4 Katy-area transportation projects to know this August

Monday, August 19, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Completed projects First Street improvements First Street will reopen to the public in mid-August, David Leyendecker of Clay & Leyendecker Inc. said. The project entailed installing new storm drainage from Cane Island Branch to Cane Island Parkway, widening the street to a two-way, three-lane concrete road and constructing sidewalks between Bartlett Road and Cane Island Parkway. Timeline: November 2018-August 2019 Cost: $4.5 million Funding source: Katy Development Authority Ongoing Projects FM 1093 widening The Texas Department of Transportation continues to widen FM 1093 from two lanes to four with a median. TxDOT Project Manager Kurt Lehmann said crews aim to open eastbound lanes late Augus...

Katy ISD receives A in Texas Education Agency’s 2018-19 accountability ratings

Monday, August 19, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Texas Education Agency released the 2018-19 accountability ratings for school districts across the state Aug. 15. Katy ISD received an A for the 2018-19 school year. It received a total of 92 out of 100 points. “[KISD’s A rating] is a nice affirmation of the hard work that our teachers are putting in every day,” Superintendent Ken Gregorski said. Out of the 65 KISD campuses that received ratings, 34 earned an A, 26 earned a B and five earned a C. For a more in-depth look at how each school in KISD performed, visit www.txschools.org. Overall grades ar...

Katy Mills completes interior renovations; Phase 2 expected to be done in 2019

Monday, May 06, 2019

By: Nola S. Valente - Community Impact Phase 1 of three phases in the Katy Mills renovation project is done, Katy Mills General Manager James Ross said. The multimillion-dollar development was announced by Simon Properties, the real estate leader who owns Katy Mills, in spring 2018. Its goal is to transform the 20-year-old shopping center into a more modern space with a brighter atmosphere and a new color scheme, Simon representatives told Community Impact Newspaper last year. “We listened to our shoppers and recently completed a massive interior renovation to improve the shopping experience and solidify Katy Mills as a source of pride to th...

Christ Clinic Earns GuideStar’s Highest Seal of Transparency Platinum Seal Allows Donors to Focus on Progress and Results

Friday, May 03, 2019

KATY, TEXAS - Thursday, May 2, 2019 —Christ Clinic today earned a 2019 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing metrics that highlight progress Christ Clinic is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios. “We’re thrilled about our Platinum Seal of Transparency and the associated benefits help us better communicate our organization’s exciting initiatives on a larger scale,” said Beverly Allen, Director of Advancement. By updating our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile to earn a Platinu...

UH Katy In Brief - April 2019

Thursday, May 02, 2019

Click Here for UH Katy In Brief - April 2019

Energy Recovery Moves Forward with Commercial Development Center in Texas

Monday, April 22, 2019

Release by Energy Recovery SAN LEANDRO, Calif.—January 14, 2019 — Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:ERII), the leader in pressure energy technology for industrial fluid flows, announced today that it has executed a lease for the company’s new Commercial Development Center in the Houston region. The facility will serve as the central office for Energy Recovery’s Oil & Gas segment including its management team, its Engineering System, Design and Performance teams, as well as field personnel. Work at the facility will initially focus on the continued technical and commercial advancement of the company’s VorTeq™ and MTeq™ technologies. The four-acre site in Katy, Texas, will include 20,000 squar...

Houston crowned most diverse city in America by new report

Thursday, April 11, 2019

By: CultureMap Houston - Steven Devadanam Last year, many locals cried foul when Houston was named the No. 2 most diverse city in the nation, behind — gasp! — Jersey City, New Jersey. But a new report confirms what we here already know: Houston is, indeed, the most diverse city in the country. The new ranking comes courtesy of personal finance website WalletHub, which, in 2018, placed Houston in a dubious second place. “Yes, Jersey City may be listed as more ethnically diverse,” Dr. Stephen Klineberg, noted local demographic expert, told CultureMap last year. “But it’s much smaller.” (Some consolation: Last year’s WalletHub report foun...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Sanitas USA to Open Medical Centers in Dallas and Houston

Tuesday, April 09, 2019

Release from PRNewswire RICHARDSON, Texas, April 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) today announced it is partnering with Sanitas USA to open 10 advanced primary care medical centers in Dallas and Houston. The medical centers will deliver primary care, urgent care, lab and diagnostic imaging services, care coordination, and wellness and disease management programs – all under one roof. The medical centers will be open for appointments beginning Jan. 1, 2020. The partnership is designed to make flexible and affordable health care options more accessible for members and their families. It will create a new, value-based care delivery model that takes an integrated, holistic approach to patients'...

TxDOT seeks comments on proposed FM 529 widening

Monday, April 08, 2019

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle The Texas Department of Transportation is proposing to widen FM 529 between the Grand Parkway and FM 362 and will take public comments on the project on April 30. The meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. will be an open-house format with no formal presentation at Patricia E. Paetow High School ninth-grade center, 23111 Stockdick Road in Katy. The deadline to comment on the project is May 15. Email hou-piowebmail@txdot.gov to submit a written comment or send comments to TxDOT Houston District Office, director of project development, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, Texas 77251. People also may visit http://tinyurl.com/yxgp6e3h for information. FM 52...

KOBELCO celebrates production of 1000th excavator at USA manufacturing facility

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

By: Roy Kent - Houston Chronicle KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA — an excavator manufacturing company with a facility in Katy at 22350 Merchants Way near North Mason Road — recently completed its 1,000th excavator and celebrated the event on March 27. According to a news release, the 1,000th KOBELCO machine produced is the “SK210LC-10 model. KOBELCO dealer, Southeastern Equipment, sold the unit to A Crano Excavating, a family-owned residential and commercial developer based in Akron, Ohio. The SK210LC-10 was given to A Crano Excavating at the celebration event. “This achievement further solidifies KOBELCO’s commitment to producing industry-leading machinery with exclusive features and cutting-edg...

CROSS CREEK TOWN CENTER BREAKS GROUND IN FULSHEAR

Friday, March 22, 2019

Media Contact: Emily Henson, Hallaron Advertising emily@hallaronadvertising.com C: 305-332-7996 O: 281-299-0538 THE WOODLANDS, Texas, (March 20, 2019) – MARCEL, a privately owned, fully integrated commercial real estate firm based in The Woodlands, Texas, put a unique “spin” on the traditional real estate development groundbreaking ceremony with an event March 20, called “Groundbreaking for a Cause,” to mark the official groundbreaking of Cross Creek Town Center, a mixed-use development with more than 76,000 sq. ft. of combined office and retail space located within Johnson Development’s Cross Creek Ranch master-planned community in Fulshear, Texas. The expected completion date of the development is Spring 2020. “Groundbreaking for a Cause,&rdquo...

New 10-acre, mixed-used development in Fulshear breaks ground

Thursday, March 21, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact A wave of new businesses will soon open in the Fulshear area. The Woodlands-based commercial real estate company Marcel Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for Cross Creek Town Center on March 20. Founder Vernon Veldekens said construction was expected to start that afternoon. The 10.47-acre mixed-use development is located at 6635 W. Cross Creek Bend Lane, Fulshear, within Houston-based Johnson Development Corp.’s master-planned community Cross Creek Ranch. Tenants are expected to begin opening next spring but will not be announced until mid-2019, Veldekens said. About 50 percent of Cross Creek Town Center’s 76,000-square-feet has been leased, he added. Marce...

How to Eat Your Way Through Katy

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

By: Houstonia Magazine - Timothy Malcolm KATY IS HAVING A FOODIE MOMENT, and if you haven’t visited lately, well, it’s time. From local favorites hiding in plain sight to the sprawling new Katy Asian Town shopping and dining center, there’s much to try, just a short drive west. Ready to plan your food crawl? Here are 10 musts: Katy BBQ by Midway Barbeque Midway has been processing deer and selling meat to area residents for decades, and its sit-down restaurant is a true old-school Texas experience: Mounted deer heads gawk at you while you sample the ’cue. The brisket is as tender as it gets...

Katy Hockley drainage project to begin, road closure expected

Monday, March 18, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact A portion of Katy Hockley Road will soon be busy with heavy equipment, trucks and construction crews. The city of Katy announced it will begin a drainage restoration project March 18 on Katy Hockley Road between Morton and Clay roads, according to a March 14 Facebook post. The project encompasses restoring roadside ditches, said Anas Garfaoui, city planner for the city of Katy, in an email. The project is expected to be completed in about three weeks, according to the post. During that time, Katy Hockley between Morton and Clay will be closed to all traffic—except residents and emergency services—betwee...

1st Quarter Newsletter - Katy Ranch Crossing

Thursday, March 14, 2019

The Ranch is intended to share information regarding Katy Ranch Crossing Shopping Center, Katy Ranch Offices as well as the Katy Area. In addition, future versions will include close-ups of existing tenants in a section titled, “Tenant Spotlight.” You can view the full edition of The Ranch here.

Crossover Road reopens, portion of FM 1093 nearly complete: 5 Katy-area transportation updates to know this March

Monday, March 11, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Work continues on various mobility projects in the Katy area. Crossover Road widening completed Fort Bend County officially reopened Crossover Road to traffic on March 1, Fort Bend County engineer Stacy Slawinski confirmed. Crossover Road between FM 1463 and Spring Green Boulevard was closed in 2018 to widen it from a two-lane asphalt roadway with ditches to a four-lane concrete boulevard with a median and underground drainage. Timeline: July 2018-March 2019 Cost: $3.1 million Funding source: Fort Bend County FM 1093 widening Fort Bend County is nearly finished with its portion to widen FM 1093 from a two-lane road to a four-lane road with ...

Katy Area EDC supports legislation to address disaster preparedness and flood mitigation

Friday, March 08, 2019

March 7, 2019 (Katy, TX) - Katy Area Economic Development Council supports Texas Senate Bills, 7, 6 and 8 to address disaster preparedness and flooding mitigation in the State of Texas, specifically the Houston region. In recent years, the Katy area has been adversely impacted during multiple flooding events. The flooding has negatively impacted businesses and homes. Specifically, the Katy area lies within the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs. Both reservoirs experienced major flooding during Harvey causing large-scale flooding and damage to the Katy area. Moving forward, without further action to improve disaster preparedness and mitigate flooding, the area will continue to experienc...

IBM Watson Health Announces 100 Top Hospitals Including Local Hospital Memorial Hermann Katy

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

ARMONK, N.Y., March 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM Watson Health™ (NYSE: IBM) today published its 100 Top Hospitals® annual study identifying top–performing hospitals in the U.S. This study spotlights the best–performing hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard using publicly available data for clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction metrics. The study is part of IBM Watson Health's commitment to leveraging science and data to advance health and it has been conducted annually since 1993. Overall, the Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® study found that the top-performing hospitals in the country achieved better risk-adjusted outcomes while maintaining both a lower average cost per patien...

Katy Area EDC among group of economic developers to visit with Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

South Central Texas economic developers took time out from their bi-annual state legislative meeting to visit Senator Lois Kolkhorst at her Capitol office on Thursday, February 21. Senator Kolkhorst represents 21 counties in the Texas Senate, which include Economic Development Corporations located in Brenham, Cuero, Gonzales, Katy, Victoria, Wharton, and Yoakum. The group discussed several issues, including the need for adequate funds for our public schools as well as the issue of property taxes. For economic developers, our state's exceedingly high property taxes make the renewal of the state tax abatement law, referred to as Chapter 312, one of the to...

Katy sets grand opening of fire station No. 2

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle A March 2 grand opening ceremony is planned for Katy Fire Department Station No. 2 at 25420 Bell Patna Drive, Katy. The ceremony is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Fire Chief Russell Wilson said he will welcome visitors and guests and introduce participants. The program will include a prayer, a cornerstone dedication by the Katy Masonic Lodge 1439, remarks by Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner and the Katy Veterans of Foreign Wars doing a flag-raising ceremony at the station. Refreshments will be served. “Adding this station location has already proven to be optimal when it comes to disaster,&rdquo...

2019 Katy Area EDC Work Plan unveiled at February GA

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

The Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its February General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, February 19 at the Mark A. Chapman YMCA at Katy Main Street. The meeting featured presentations by YMCA Katy Main Street, Harris County ESD #48 and Katy Area EDC. Michelle Steffes, YMCA Katy Main Street Director of Operations, shared information about the host facility, one of the newest YMCA locations in the Houston area. The YMCA, located in the Katy Main Street development within the City of Katy, offers a wide variety of programs for children and adults. Highlight features of the facility include a playground, pool/splas...

4 ongoing and upcoming transportation updates to know in the Katy area

Monday, February 25, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Road improvements on eight roads Crews recently broke ground on repair work on eight asphalt roads showing wear and tear, said Eric Heppen, a project manager for Harris County Precinct 3. All of Baker Road will be repaired. Groeschke Road will be repaired in three segments, from Dulaney Road to Barker Cypress Road, from Barker Cypress to just east of 1800 Groeschke Road, and from about 17551 Groeschke Road to west of 17130 Groeschke Road. Dulaney will be repaired from Morton Road to Groeschke Road, and Ashley Road will have repairs from Greenhouse Road to Dulane...

Zoombang Outperforms All Top Impact Sportsware Companies

Monday, February 25, 2019

KATY, TX, UNITED STATES, February 22, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Zoombang Outperforms All Top Impact Sportswear Companies Zoombang crushes competition in a third-party test against top global competitors as the best product for athletes in contact sports Katy, Texas- Zoombang protective sports gear outperforms all the competition - not just a catchy slogan, but a third-party tested fact. Zoombang announced today third-party test results of protective wear outperforming globally recognized sports gear providers McDavid, Under Armour, and Nike reducing impact blows 40 to 45 percent better than the competition. Our thickening polymers absorb and distribute impact blows better than the competition: 43 percent bette...

TEDC Presents Economic Excellence Recognition at 2019 Legislative Conference

Sunday, February 24, 2019

News Release Texas Economic Development Council For more information contact: Mr. Carlton Schwab President/CEO Texas Economic Development Council (512) 480-8432 carlton@texasedc.org The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) announced the recipients of its annual Economic Excellence Recognition program for 2018. The awards were presented at a breakfast held Thursday, February 21, 2019, at the TEDC’s Legislative Conference in Austin, Texas. The two and one half-day conference was held February 20-22 at the Sheraton hotel in downtown Austin. The Economic Excellence Recognition program provides recognition to economic development organizations that meet a desired threshold of professionalism. Recipients qualify for recognition based on training taken by their governing board/council as well a...

Katy ISD unveils new agriculture science center for livestock show, rodeo

Monday, February 18, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Katy ISD Future Farmers of America Livestock Show and Katy Rodeo kicked off Feb. 13 at new facilities. The new $34 million Gerald D. Young Agriculture Science Center is located at 5825 Katy Hockley Cut Off Road, Katy, and includes the L.D. Robinson Pavilion and W.E. “Billy” Morgan Rodeo Arena, according to KISD documents. The pavilion and arena are each about 35,000 square feet, sitting on about 130 acres of land for KISD students to learn about agriculture. The new facilities were funded from the 2014 $99 million bond referendum. Check out photos of the ne...

Katy City Council approves drainage and water line contracts

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact Katy City Council approved two contracts to refurbish drainage infrastructure and water lines during its Feb. 11 meeting. The contract for more than $126,000 was awarded to Aranda Industries LLC, a Houston-based company. The contractor will repair and update storm sewers on Bartlett Road and Sanford Street. The storm sewer repair contract will allow the city to maintain drainage infrastructure and places the city in control of the drainage easement the storm sewer is located within, Council Member Chris Harris said. The easement had previously been owned by a private citizen that voluntarily turned the easemen...

City of Katy holds groundbreaking for Katy Downtown Plaza

Monday, February 04, 2019

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact The city of Katy broke ground Jan. 30 on the much-anticipated revitalization project that will create the Katy Downtown Plaza. The project will install a new civic center, visitors center, outdoor walking museum, green space and public restrooms. “Today is going to launch the revitalization of this area,” Mayor Chuck Brawner said during his opening remarks to the ceremony. Nash Industries will be building the site, which was designed by Turner Duran Architects. Full Story

Brawner, Phillips named Stanley Award winners at January Katy Area EDC GA

Friday, January 25, 2019

The Katy ISD Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM played host to the first Katy Area Economic Development Council meeting of 2019. Roughly 100 members and guests gathered for the meeting which was headlined by the announcement of the recipients of the 3rd Annual Stan C. Stanley “Eagle” Leadership and Economic Development Awards. With friends and family of Stan Stanley in attendance, Katy Area EDC was honored to announce the winners of the Stan C. Stanley “Eagle” Leadership and Economic Development Award as Dick Phillips (University of Houston Vice President of Community Engagement) in the volunteer category and Chuck Brawner (City o...

Texas Heritage Parkway to break ground in mid-2019

Friday, January 25, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact A transportation project in the Katy area that has been in the works for about 15 years will soon start construction, a project spokesperson and two public officials said. Texas Heritage Parkway will break ground in May, said attorney Rich Muller, who is representing nine landowners involved in the project. Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers and Fulshear Mayor Aaron Groff also confirmed the project would begin construction mid-2019. The motivation for this new corridor stems from West Houston’s growing population and the need for another north-south thoroughfare to connect the Westpark Tollway to I-10, Muller an...

Texas Top-Ranked State for Firm Relocations

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

By: Anil Kumar and Alexander T. Abraham - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Texas is the leading destination for companies relocating from other states. The economic benefits of the moves may be best measured in terms of the ancillary activity generated rather than the benefits directly attributable to the relocations. You can read the full report here.

Katy city council moves forward with proposed lower tax rate

Monday, September 14, 2020

2020 Top States for Doing Business Showcase Their Pro-Business Environments

Thursday, September 03, 2020

Texas One of Best States for Businesses to Survive COVID-19 Economic Turmoil

Monday, July 13, 2020

New ranking: These are Houston's best places to live

Friday, May 15, 2020

Development: Updates to 5 Katy-area commercial real estate projects

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Discover the Katy Area

Monday, November 04, 2019