News and Media

By: Asia Armour - Community Impact The city of Katy is in the final stages of creating a guideline for the next 20 years of its continued development with its 2040 comprehensive plan. At a Jan. 24 special meeting, the Katy City Council and the Katy Planning and Zoning Commission heard ...Continue Reading

By: Asia Armour - Community Impact The FM 529 widening project spearheaded by the Texas Department of Transportation is in the final stages of development, with environmental clearance and finalization of the project’s schematics expected to come in the first half of 2023, TxDOT officials said. Of the 22 total comments receive...Continue Reading

By: Rachel Carlton - Community Impact County officials outlined a proposal to reduce the cost of tolls by 10% at a news conference Jan. 24. Pending approval by Commissioners Court, which next meets Jan. 31, the rate reduction would go into effect by Labor Day, according to Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis...Continue Reading

By: Texas Workforce Commission Texas ranks first in the nation in over-the-year jobs added, with 650,100 positions gained in 2022. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the state not only had the largest absolute increase in jobs added, but also attained the highest percent of seasonally adjusted total nonfar...Continue Reading

By: Asia Armour - Community Impact PopStroke, an entertainment venue with features that include a smaller-scale golf course designed by Tiger Woods, four bars—including one on the course—an extensive ice cream parlor, and restaurant and VIP space, opened in Katy on Dec. 16. It is the first iteration of the bran...Continue Reading

By: Katy Times - Contributed Report NewQuest Properties’ Shops at Katy Reserve has won Memorial Hermann Health System’s nod to be the newest primary care services’ location in the healthcare giant’s network. The Houston-based healthcare provider has leased an 8,945-sf freestanding building on the last available pad site fronting Spring Green Boulevar...Continue Reading

Katy Area Economic Development Council kicked off the new year with its January General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, January 17 hosted by Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston West-Katy.  Patrick Jankowski, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at Greater Houston Partnership, provided a snapshot of the Greater Houston economy an...Continue Reading

By: United State Census Bureau After a historically low rate of change between 2020 and 2021, the U.S. resident population increased by 0.4%, or 1,256,003, to 333,287,557 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 national and state population estimates and components of change released today. Net international migration — the numbe...Continue Reading

By: Asia Armour - Community Impact There are currently multiple construction projects happening now in the Katy area. Read down below to find out more about the cost, timeline, scope and funding source for each project. I-10 expansion The Texas Department of Transportation has been reconstructing I-10 from FM 359 to the Brazo...Continue Reading

By: Asia Armour - Community Impact A new, unnamed master-planned community with a Katy address is coming to Waller County—near Morton Road and FM 2855—according to a Jan. 4 news release from Johnson Development. This comes after a recent venture with Plow Realty to develop an 1,146-acre land tract for Johnson Development’s 16th Houston-area community...Continue Reading

By: Renee Farmer - Community Impact American Wire Group, a supplier of wires, cables and other equipment for the electric utility and renewable markets, announced the opening of a national distribution facility in Katy. The new 205,000-square-foot distribution center off of Katy Brookshire Road will bring an estimated 30-50 new jobs t...Continue Reading

The Katy and Fulshear areas have experienced exponential population increases and development in the last five years. As residential communities are built to accommodate growth, local governments, regional organizations and environmental agencies must work together to create symbiosis between environmental conservation and development, officials said. The combined population of the si...Continue Reading

For most people across communities, their favorite shopping memories have occurred when visiting a small business downtown. There is something special about shopping at a local store where the owners greet you by name, swap stories with you, and ask about the kids. You can’t find that experience everywhere, bu...Continue Reading

The northern Katy area will soon see a new housing development on the northwest corner of the Katy Hockley Cutoff Road-West Road intersection. Colliers, a Houston-based commercial real estate firm, has purchased about 494 acres located on the corner of Katy Hockley Road and West Road. Tim Sojka, broker of the Se...Continue Reading

M/I Homes, a home building company, is developing a 175-acre residential development in Fulshear, with homes expected for presale in early 2023. The plan for Summerview, to be at 5613 FM 359, is for 414 homesites, with more than 20 floor plans available to consider for homes that can have betwee...Continue Reading

Area state legislators said they will focus on keeping property taxes under control and improving public education in a Nov. 15 panel discussion at the Katy Area Economic Development Council. State Reps. Jacey Jetton, Gary Gates, Mike Schofield and Jon Rosenthal were the panelists. All represent a different part of Kat...Continue Reading

Bryan Daniel serves as chair and commissioner representing the public for the Texas Workforce Commission. In 2019, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Daniel to the three-member commission, which also includes the commissioner representing labor and the commissioner representing employers. Before joining the commission, Daniel served as executive director for the Texas Economic Development divisio...Continue Reading

On Nov. 7, Typhoon Texas Waterpark and entertainment center announced plans to open a $4 million interconnected water park exclusively for children by summer 2023. Construction on Typhoon Junior began in mid-October and is estimated to end in April ahead of Memorial Day. It is intended to offer kids a chance to gro...Continue Reading

Semper Fidelis, or always faithful, is the U.S. Marine Corps motto. A Katy bourbon company is working to follow that motto it donates a portion of its profits to organizations supporting military members and their families. Big Stick Spirits is headquartered in Katy, but its bourbon, like that of many othe...Continue Reading

Texas is a pro-business climate providing incentives for businesses that form in the state to stimulate economic growth. Entrepreneurs have access to resources and tools to succeed in the Greater Katy Area. Katy Area Economic Development Council celebrates local entrepreneurs and their accomplishments this November for National Entrepreneurship Month!  We ar...Continue Reading

New technology is making it easier for entrepreneurs and small business owners to manage their finances. We recommend working with the SBDC to create an initial budget, plan financial projects, and learn how to manage cash flow. Afterward, it becomes important to manage these plans daily and monthly - somethin...Continue Reading

Katy, Texas is home to a host of manufacturing companies that are producing goods using the latest technologies and the raw materials that are plentiful in Texas. Kicking off on Manufacturing Day — Friday, October 1 —  and continuing throughout the month, we celebrate companies in the community for thei...Continue Reading

Economic growth is the core of a community’s vitality. The ability of businesses to operate and flourish offers jobs for residents, increases financial opportunities and improves the overall quality of life in an area. But starting and running a business is a challenging endeavor. From the established company to th...Continue Reading