News and Media

Job Posting: Katy Area EDC hiring President/CEO

Friday, October 08, 2021

Job Posting: Katy Area Economic Development Council - President/CEO REGION AND ORGANIZATION The Katy Area Economic Development Council provides economic development services to the Katy and Cypress area which is more commonly known at the Katy Independent School District and Cy-Fair Independent School District which in nearly 400 square miles. The area is located 30 miles west and northwest of downtown Houston, is known for the world-famous Energy Corridor, and is one of the fastest growing regions in Houston and state of Texas with a population nearing 1,000,000 people. Target industries include energy services, data centers, research and development, headquarters, and engineerin...

Thomason appointed interim Katy Area EDC President/CEO

Wednesday, October 06, 2021

The Katy Area Economic Development Council Board of Governors has appointed Angie Thomason as interim Katy Area EDC President/CEO effective Friday, October 29.

8 statewide propositions on Texans' November 2021 ballot and what they mean

Monday, October 04, 2021

By: Jishnu Nair - Community Impact Voters will find eight propositions to amend the state constitution on the Nov. 2 ballot. Community Impact Newspaper spoke with Brandon Rottinghaus, the University of Houston’s political science chair, to break down each proposition. Proposition 1: rodeo raffles House Joint Resolution 143 What is it asking? This proposition allows voters to decide whether charities for teams sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or Women’s Professional Rodeo Association can hold charitable raffles. According to Rottinghaus, these races need to be approved through a constitutional amendment to avoid falling foul of Texas’ gambling laws. Proposition 2: county infrastructure bonds for blighted areas House Join...

Katy area, Fort Bend County see notable increase in Asian population, data shows

Monday, October 04, 2021

By: Rynd Morgan - Community Impact New census data shows the Asian population in Fort Bend County and in Katy has significantly increased in the past decade. Local experts said this is driven by new construction in the area, desirable school districts and a growing number of businesses catering to the Asian community—as more than a dozen Asian-catering businesses have opened in the Katy area this year, according to new businesses confirmed by Community Impact Newspaper’s monthly reporting. Fort Bend County has Texas’ highest proportion of Asian residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 data released mid-August. The county’s Asian population made u...

Katy City Council approves $34.5 million budget, maintains same property tax rate

Monday, October 04, 2021

By: Rynd Morgan - Community Impact The city of Katy approved its $34.5 million budget at a Sept. 27 City Council meeting. The city also approved a property tax rate of $0.447168 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2021-22, which is the same as the fiscal year 2020-21 tax rate. Of the $0.447168 total tax rate, $0.083633 will go toward debt service, and $0.363535 will fund maintenance and operation expenditures. Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris thanked city staff for their work on the budget at the City Council meeting. “Even with the current issues throughout the nation and the pandemic, we were able t...

MD Anderson Boot Walk set for November 6

Sunday, October 03, 2021

Presentation by Fort Bend County Judge KP George highlights September GA meeting

Friday, October 01, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council welcomed members and guests to its September General Assembly hosted by Aloft Katy on Tuesday, September 21. Fort Bend County Judge KP George served as the keynote presenter for the event which was followed by the first ever Katy Area Business Opportunity Conference. Judge KP George took office in January 2019 following several years of service on the Fort Bend ISD School Board. George oversees county operations which include over 3,000 employees and a budget of roughly $400 million. Recently, Fort Bend County has been recognized as one of the fastest growing counties in the countr...

Comcast Rise Investment Fund to award small business grants in Harris, Fort Bend counties

Monday, September 27, 2021

By: Rynd Morgan - Community Impact Comcast announced it will award $1 million to small businesses owned by people of color in Harris and Fort Bend counties in a Sept. 16 press release. This effort is part of the Comcast Rise Investment Fund program, a multiyear, multifaceted initiative launched in late 2020 to support small businesses owned by people of color. Beginning Oct. 1, small businesses owned by people of color in Harris and Fort Bend counties can apply for 100 grants of $10,000 each. Applications must be received by Oct. 14. As part of the company’s initial Comcast Rise Investment Fund program...

Katy Boardwalk District announces 'refined' site plan in fall, tenants in 2022

Monday, September 27, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact Plans for the Katy Boardwalk District will be seeing a few changes, officials said in a Sept. 23 press release. According to the release, a refined site plan for the project is expected to be released this fall—with an announcement of the district’s first tenants expected to come in early 2022. Katy Boardwalk District’s development team said in the release that it is still continuing to focus on attracting “chef-driven restaurants and unique, first-to-market entertainment concepts” while working to enhance the property’s overall site plan. “The impact of COVID-19 gave us extra time to re-evaluate the sit...

How population changed in Texas counties between census counts in 2010, 2020

Thursday, September 23, 2021

By: Valerie Wigglesworth - Community Impact The latest Census data shows that 111 of the 254 counties in Texas gained in population since the last count in 2010. The greatest growth was concentrated among the state's urban areas of Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio, data showed. In total, Texas added nearly four million people between 2010 and 2020. That amounts to a nearly 16% growth, according to the data. Hays County tops the list with 53% growth between the two census counts. That county south of Austin went from 157,107 residents to 241,067 residents in the latest census. Other counties in th...

New Available Space at G-Tech Innovation Center

Friday, September 17, 2021

Fort Bend County launches “Get Hired” program

Monday, September 13, 2021

By: Rynd Morgan - Community Impact Fort Bend County Judge KP George announced the launch of a “Get Hired” program, aimed to help small businesses and nonprofits in Fort Bend County, at a Sept. 8 press conference. The “Get Hired” incentive program is a county initiative that will offer employers hiring incentives to attract employees and encourage those individuals to stay employed by paying incentives after 90 days of continuous employment, according to a county press release. The program is funded by American Rescue Plan Act funds. George said the program would help business owners not only hire new employees, but retain the...

UHV-Katy staffer earns national Latino leadership award

Monday, September 13, 2021

By: R. Hans Miller - Katy Times Karla DeCuir, University of Houston-Victoria Katy senior director of enrollment management and external affairs, is one of 26 people across the nation as a National Latino Leader, according to a UHV-Katy press release. “I am extremely honored to be recognized as one of the Latino Leaders this year,” DeCuir said. “It is a privilege to be among so many great leaders from different areas of business in the country, and I love helping other Latinos achieve success in their fields.” DeCuir will be presented with the award during the sixth annual National Latino leadership Conference whic...

Lance LaCour Announced as Partnership Lake Houston’s Economic Development President

Wednesday, September 08, 2021

Release provided by Partnership Lake Houston HUMBLE, TX — Partnership Lake Houston CEO Jenna Armstrong recently announced Lance LaCour as their new president of Economic Development. LaCour replaces former Economic Development president Mark Mitchell who stepped down from his position in June following four years with the Partnership. LaCour will assume his position with Partnership Lake Houston on November 1 after more than 16 years leading the Katy Area Economic Development Council. During his tenure in Katy, he helped attract thousands of jobs to the Katy area through robust expansion and business attraction projects. Since he began leading the organization in 2005, the are...

Commissioner Tom Ramsey, growing R&D company headline Katy Area EDC August GA meeting

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its August General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, August 17 at the Omni Houston Hotel at Westside. The meeting featured keynote presentations from Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Kent Kvaal President/General Manager of TSRC Specialty Materials. Commissioner Tom Ramsey was elected to his position in 2020 and brings a history of public sector experience to his role. Prior to his current position, Ramsey served as Mayor of Spring Valley Village from 2012-2020. Ramsey, a longtime civil engineer, has put his engineering experience to use in helping advocate for infrastructure projects within Harris Count...

SBA Announces Moratorium on Bona Fide Place of Business Requirements for the 8(a) Business Development Program

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a moratorium on the requirement that participants in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program must establish a bona fide place of business in a specific geographic area in order to be awarded any construction contract through the 8(a) Program due to the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. The moratorium is effective August 25, 2021, and applies to all 8(a) construction contracts offered to the 8(a) Program between August 25, 2021, and September 30, 2022. “The SBA is committed to finding innovative ways to assist small businesses, particularly small disadvantaged businesses that have been historically underserved,” sai...

Kingsland Boulevard to see new stop signs near Katy Boardwalk development

Friday, August 27, 2021

By: Rynd Morgan - Community Impact The city of Katy approved the addition of four new stop signs in the Katy Boardwalk area during a Katy City Council meeting Aug. 23. The stop signs will be added at the intersections of Lakeview Way and Kingsland Boulevard, and Lakeview Way and Boardwalk Drive; Prairie Parkway and Kingsland Boulevard, and Prairie Parkway and Boardwalk Drive; Boardwalk Drive and Prairie Parkway; and Boardwalk Drive and Lakeview Way, according to city documents. The motion passed unanimously. The Katy Boardwalk area, located south of I-10, has been under development since 2015 and broke ground in 2017. The developmen...

2021's Top 10 Retail Experiences: No. 6 La Centerra At Cinco Ranch

Friday, August 20, 2021

By: Chain Store Age In the Houston suburb of Katy, packed with lots of people and lots of retail, La Centerra is an outdoor center with incredible space, a wide variety of stores and restaurants, a public park, and a clock tower that guides guests to the site from as far as 10 miles away. “There’s a great mixture of uses at La Centerra, and a lot of open spaces,” said Josh Poag, CEO of Poag Shopping Centers, which acquired La Centerra in 2017. “During the pandemic, all of the restaurants got quickly engaged in doing takeout orders. People were lined up...

Texas Heritage Parkway set to open Friday

Thursday, August 19, 2021

By: R. Hans Miller, News Editor - Katy Times Fort Bend County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Andy Meyers announced Monday that the long-awaited Texas Heritage Parkway will open Friday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. The roadway is a joint effort with the Texas Department of Transportation, Fort Bend County, Waller County and the cities of Fulshear and Katy paying for portions of the construction with additional resources provided by subdivision developers in the area. “The Kingsland to I-10 segment is the last bit of the (Texas Heritage Parkway) that is still being constructed, but all vehicles will have access to 10, th...

Katy Mills is future home to Texas' first construction theme park

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact Katy will be the home of Dig World—Texas’ first all-ages, construction-themed adventure park—in a “few months,” according to an Aug. 18 announcement from Dig World. The 3.5-acre park will feature real, heavy construction equipment–such as excavators, skid steers, UTVs and more—for both adults and children to operate. Located near Katy Mills, the attraction is expected to host 100,000 guests in its first year, according to the statement. “At Katy Mills, we are committed to growing, evolving and supporting what the community needs,” said Lisa Connolly, Katy Mills' director of marketing and business development. “Dig World will surel...

Harris County Flood Control District receives nearly $250M for sediment removal

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

By: Danica Lloyd - Community Impact The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the Harris County Flood Control District nearly $250 million in federal funds for sediment removal in eight watersheds, officials announced in an Aug. 9 news release. Sediment that was deposited during flooding from Hurricane Harvey will be removed from the Willow Creek, White Oak Bayou, Spring Creek, Little Cypress Creek, Greens Bayou, Cypress Creek, Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir watersheds. "This award allows us to continue the huge task of removing sediment from flood control district channels. It is estimated that more than 2.13 million cubic yards of sediment accumulated i...

Harris County to launch $30M small-business relief fund Sept. 20

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

By: Danica Lloyd - Community Impact Small businesses throughout Harris County that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to apply for grants ranging from $5,000-$25,000. The new $30 million relief fund is subsidized by the American Rescue Plan Act Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. County commissioners unanimously approved Aug. 10 a partnership with LiftFund, an independent nonprofit that provides loans for entrepreneurs. This organization will help manage the program and help business owners apply, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. She said at a press conference that small-business revenue is down 38% since January 2020, according t...

KISD schools recognized for energy conservation, saving district millions

Monday, August 09, 2021

By: Savannah Kuchar - Community Impact Multiple Katy ISD campuses have earned Energy Star certification by the Environmental Protection Agency. Among these were 19 Katy elementary schools, four junior high schools and Tompkins High School. According to a KISD press release, efforts by these schools has saved the district over $4 million in what would be energy and water usage, money that can then be redirected to the classroom. “Through approved bond projects, the Katy ISD Operations Division has been able to install new equipment that is both energy-efficient and more reliable for campuses and district facilities,” said Ted Vierling, chief operations office...

Land Tejas to bring on 15 homebuilders for Sunterra development

Monday, August 09, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact Land Tejas will be bringing on 15 different homebuilders for the first phase of Sunterra, a Katy development with a 3.5-acre Crystal Lagoons amenity, according to an Aug. 5 press release from Sunterra. Builders for the 1,039-acre development include Adams Homes, Ashton Woods Homes, CastleRock Communities, Chesmar Homes, Colina Homes, DR Horton, Empire Communities, Gehan Homes, Hamilton Thomas Homes, Highland Homes, HistoryMaker Homes, Perry Homes, Pulte Homes, Shea Homes and Westin Homes. “We’re excited to have so many well-known and reputable home builders opening in the first phase of development in Sunterra,” said James Henrie, partner an...

Roundabout plan aims to increase safety, decrease congestion

Monday, August 02, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Fort Bend County officials are implementing a new roundabout initiative in Precinct 3 to increase safety and ease congestion. As Precinct 3 becomes more dense, officials are seeing more intersections with high crash rates or that lack a traffic-control device and could use a traffic-calming measure, said Robert Pechukas, manager of policy and administration with the precinct. Thus, the county is working to implement changes and prefer roundabouts for several reasons, Pechukas said. The design of a roundabout limits T-bone collisions, which improves safety as most of the remaining accidents are less dangerous sideswipes, Pechukas said. Additionally, signal...

MD Anderson again ranks No. 1 in cancer by U.S. News & World Report

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

MD Anderson News Release July 26, 2021 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center again has been named No. 1 in cancer in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-2022 annual “Best Hospitals” rankings. Since the ranking's inception in 1990, the institution has been selected as one of the top two hospitals for cancer in the country. “This year’s ranking is especially rewarding considering the exceptional teamwork and collaboration we have seen throughout our institution during an unprecedented pandemic that created heightened risks for immunocompromised cancer patients,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “No matter the challenge, w...

UH-Victoria's psychology program receives national accreditation

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact The University of Houston-Victoria’s Specialist in School Psychology program received its national accreditation from The National Association of School Psychologists in July—making it one of only 13 Texas universities accredited by the association. The accreditation “will help the university recruit new students and streamline the professional certification process for the program’s graduates,” university officials said in a press release. “This is a historic accomplishment for the School of Arts & Sciences because school psychology is the first nationally accredited program in the school,” said Craig Goodman, dean of the UHV School of Arts & Sciences. “Doctors [Elise...

SBA Program Helps to Revitalize Restaurants in Houston

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Release provided by SBA The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund provided much-needed relief to an industry that saw the negative impacts of the pandemic early on. Restaurants, bars, food trucks, and other food establishments were able to access grant funding to cover certain expenses like payroll and rent through the SBA program. In Houston, over 1,900 businesses received funding totaling more than $498 million with an average award amount of $258K. “The injection of $498 million from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund has helped to uplift an industry that generates billions of dollars to the Houston economy every year. With its closure, th...

Katy Area Business Opportunity Center aims to assist Katy area minority-owned and women-owned businesses

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

A website dedicated to highlighting and providing assistance to Katy area minority-owned and women-owned businesses was recently launched by the Katy Area Economic Development Council. The newly created website can be found at katyareabusinessopportunitycenter.com. Organized by the Katy Area Economic Development Council’s Diversity Committee, the website provides a Minority and Women's Business Directory for businesses located in the zip codes that include and touch Katy and Cy-Fair ISD areas. It also aims to advance the mission and vision of the committee in areas including but not limited to helping minority and women's businesses seek and obtain HUB (Historically and Underutilized Business) an...

Katy City Council approves new assistant city administrator

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact Katy City Council voted to approve Anas Garfaoui as the city’s new assistant city administrator at its July 12 meeting—the first in-person meeting the city has held since the coronavirus forced the City Council to go remote in 2020. “This is very exciting for [Garfaoui],” Katy Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris said. “He did a great job with our Katy Development Authority. And he has saved me many times from giving the wrong answer by correcting me. He definitely is not a person that tells you what you want to hear—he tells you straightforward what th...

Governor Abbott Lauds Lone Star State’s Jobs Surge

Monday, July 19, 2021

July 16, 2021 | Austin, Texas | Press Release Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement following the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) release of June employment numbers showing continued economic expansion as Texas employers added 55,800 jobs over the month, marking job growth in 13 of the last 14 months, as the unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent as more Texans jumped back into the job market. “The Texas economy is booming. Businesses are investing in the Lone Star State at a record pace because we've built a framework that allows free enterprise to flourish and hardworking Texans to prosper,” said Governo...

Oil's Well!

Monday, July 19, 2021

By: Dr. M. Ray Perryman - The Perryman Group Published in syndication July 14, 2021 The energy sector remains a key driver of the Texas economy. It dominates state exports; drilling, production, transportation, and processing activity involve substantial investments; and the massive supply chain has been entrenched and expanding for over a century. Although the Texas economy is diverse and multifaceted, oil and gas and related activity from exploration through shipping comprise about 13-14% of overall business activity. The pandemic spawned sheer chaos in oil markets, with prices falling from the upper $50s per barrel to the mid-teens just two months later. I...

Cinco Ranch team CRyptonite wins second overall at the UIL Robotics State Championship

Monday, July 12, 2021

By: Savannah Kuchar - Community Impact A team of students from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy ISD earned multiple distinctions at this year's For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology UIL Robotics State Championship. Team 624 CRyptonite was one of 73 other teams, divided between two divisions, who participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition at the Alamodome in San Antonio June 15-17. The Cinco Ranch team was named first runner-up in the state, and as a finalist in their Lone Star division, they went on to compete against winners from the Bluebonnet division and earn the distinction of overall state finalists. “Th...

No Label Brewing Co. recognized in international contest for pandemic efforts

Monday, July 12, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact No Label Brewing Co. in Katy took home two awards during the international Craft Beer Marketing Awards for its COVID-19 face mask design and charity promotions during the pandemic. The Craft Beer Marketing Awards, which was established in 2019, is a worldwide competition that focuses on excellence in the artistic and creative marketing and packaging efforts of breweries, designers and agencies' craft beer, according to a press release. The CBMAs accepted entries from around the globe from five regions. A total of 196 awards were presented to winning brewers, designers and marketing agencies from around the world. “Ou...

City eyes late summer opening for portion of Katy Boardwalk District

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact Even during the pandemic, Katy Boardwalk District projects did not stop, Katy City Administrator Byron Hebert said. The project was first discussed in October 2015. Once completed, the district will be located off of Kingsland Blvd., south of Katy Freeway near Katy Mills. It will feature a nature preserve, multifamily housing and a hotel. “The Katy Boardwalk District will be a game-changer for the area,” said Keith Dalton of KBH Ventures, the development team behind the district, in an email. “As a new lakefront destination, Katy Boardwalk District will be master planned as a hub fo...

Q&A with Katy Area EDC President Lance LaCour

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

By: R. Hans Miller - Katy Times, News Editor The Katy Area Economic Development Council’s motto is “energy grows here” and KEDC President Lance LaCour and his team are working on several projects to make that motto a reality. LaCour says the goal is to continue to build the economy of the area and bring good jobs for area residents as Katy continues to grow. Over the past year, the EDC has advocated on multiple occasions for assistance for local businesses as they faced the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to work on projects to build the region from a...

Riders will soon have access to free Wi-Fi systemwide on METRO vehicles

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

By: Andy Yanez - Community Impact Riders of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will soon have a new accommodation when traveling on its transportation vehicles: access to free Wi-Fi. "It's something we've been looking at for a couple of years now," METRO Chief Information Officer Denise Wendler said in a news release. “We’re excited to finally expand this service throughout our fleet." To use the free Wi-Fi, METRO riders will see "ridemetro-wifi" as an option from a list of available connections and will need to put in their email address and approve METRO’s terms and conditions, according to the release. METRO’s additio...

UH/HCC Engineering Academy accepting applicants - Application deadline July 15

Thursday, July 01, 2021

The University of Houston (UH- Main Campus) and Houston Community College (HCC) have created a unique engineering partnership: The UH/HCC Engineering Academy! Students are co-enrolled at both institutions and are official UH Engineering Cougars from the very first day! Students can now apply for the UH/HCC Engineering Academy at two locations: Katy – I10/Hwy 99 – 22400 Grand Circle Blvd., Katy, Texas 77449 Fraga Eastside – one mile east of Downtown Houston at the HCC Felix Fraga Campus–301 N. Drennan, Houston, Texas 77003 Ideal Candidate: Student is ready for Calculus I (MATH 2413) and Chemistry I (CHEM 1311) – options are available for Pre-Cal students, but encouraged to complet...

Public comment sought for flood-control project targeting South Mayde Creek in western Harris County

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Harris County Flood Control District officials are moving forward with plans to improve the flow of stormwater and reduce flooding risks along lower South Mayde Creek, a tributary in the Addicks Reservoir watershed of northwest Harris County. During a virtual public meeting June 24, HCFCD Engineering Director Marcus Stuckett said the district has completed a draft preliminary engineering report for a project targeting the area and is seeking public input about the plans. The specific project area is bordered by Peek Road on the west, Lakes of Bridgewater on the east, Clay Road on the south an...

UHV named top college choice in Katy

Monday, June 28, 2021

Release Provided by UHV Readers of the Katy Times have named the University of Houston-Victoria a top choice to attend college in the Katy area. The university received a top spot this week in the 2021 Katy Times’ Best of Katy readers’ choice awards contest in the Best College category. The university has been named a top choice by Katy Times readers for several years. “It is a humbling and wonderful feeling for the university to receive this recognition and support from the Katy community,” said Chance Glenn, UHV provost and vice president for academic affairs. “UHV is proud to be a par...

Overview: American Rescue Plan Act and Harris County

Friday, June 25, 2021

Click Here to Learn More About the American Rescue Plan and What it Means for Harris County

Katy Wild West Brewfest founder discusses upcoming 2021 event, impact on Katy area at GA meeting

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council welcomed members and guests to its monthly general assembly meeting on Tuesday, June 14 hosted by Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston West - Katy. The meeting, which was streamed for virtual attendees as well, featured a presentation from Katy Wild West Brewfest. David Loesch, founder of Katy Wild West Brewfest, provided an overview of the event which has become a Katy area staple. Since its inception 10 years ago, the beer festival has grown tremendously and so has its impact on the Katy area. The event has grown from 1,000 attendees to over 10,000. To date...

Texas Unemployment Rate falls to 6.5 percent in May

Monday, June 21, 2021

Date: June 18, 2021 Media Contact: James Bernsen Phone: 512-463-8556 AUSTIN — In May, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 6.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from April 2021. Texas added 34,400 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 12 of the last 13 months. Texas added a total of 804,200 jobs since May 2020. "Texas employers continue to add jobs, strengthening our economy and creating opportunities for Texas workers to connect to a rewarding career," said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. "Job seekers can access skills enhancement resources to prepare for these newly created jobs via our local Workforce Solutions partners an...

Fort Bend County Public Transportation rebrands to Fort Bend Transit

Thursday, June 17, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Fort Bend County Public Transportation on June 14 announced a rebranding that includes a name change to Fort Bend Transit, a new logo, a new color scheme, and new messaging that showcases local and regional transportation services. Fort Bend County commissioners in 2005 approved the creation of the Fort Bend County Public Transportation Department to serve the general public in Fort Bend County, the release said. Now, as Fort Bend Transit leaders look to add route expansions, grow ridership and introduce new technologies, they determined it was time for the image to change. “With the challenges o...

Fort Bend Entrepreneur initiative provides assistance to hundreds of small businesses

Thursday, June 17, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Nearly 700 Fort Bend County small businesses have received free one-on-one coaching designed to help them stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic through the county's Fort Bend Entrepreneur program. Stephen Carter, co-owner of consulting group Carter Brothers, which partnered with the county to run the initiative, presented an update on the program to Fort Bend County commissioners at their June 8 meeting. The program started last July with the goal to provide educational and coaching services to businesses in the county that were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Carter said. At the time, the goal was to assist 400 businesses...

Nearly $400M project to boost Houston-area water supply by up to 500M gallons a day

Thursday, June 17, 2021

By: Emma Whalen - Community Impact A recently completed water supply project will help meet growing demand in the Greater Houston area, officials announced June 15. The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project will supply Lake Houston and the Northeast Water Purification Plant with an additional 240 million gallons of water per day from the Trinity River. Eventually, it could supply up to 500 million gallons of water per day, officials said. “The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project is helping to meet water supply demands of a growing population,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a ribbon-cutting for the project. “The [project] is a testament to our region’...

Texas Wins Ninth Gold Shovel Award For Job Creation And Business Investments

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

June 14, 2021 | Austin, Texas | Press Release Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Texas is again recognized with a Gold Shovel Award by Area Development magazine for leading among the most populous states in attracting high-value business investments in 2020 that will create a significant number of new jobs in communities across the state. This is the ninth year Texas has won a Gold Shovel Award. "It’s no surprise that Texas continues to lead the nation in job creation and economic expansion," said Governor Abbott. “The Lone Star State offers innovative businesses the freedom to flourish with our pro-growth economic policies...

New Katy ISD elementary school coming to Cane Island community

Monday, June 14, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact The Katy master-planned community Cane Island will add an on-site Katy ISD elementary school scheduled to open in the fall of 2022, according to a press release. The elementary school will be located at 7400 Innovation Drive near Cane Island Parkway, within walking distance for Cane Island residents, the release said. The district is expected to announce a name for the new school in the coming months. “As the primary driver of new home sales north of I-10, we knew it was just a matter of time before we could open an on-site elementary school right her...

UHV to offer new concentrations in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Release by UHV Beginning this fall, undergraduate and graduate students majoring in computer information systems at the University of Houston-Victoria can take new degree concentrations in the latest technologies, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science. Students earning a bachelor’s degree will be able to select from concentrations in cybersecurity or data science, while those earning a master’s degree can choose from cybersecurity, data science and artificial intelligence concentrations. “There is a shortage of college graduates equipped with these skills, which are in high demand across almost all industries,” said Yun Wan, chair of the UHV computer science division and professor of compute...

Cane Island announces addition of 152 homesites

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact The Katy master-planned community of Cane Island has opened three new sections of its popular 50-foot homesites. The sections will bring 152 additional three-, four- and five-bedroom family homes from David Weekley Homes and Perry Homes. “The 50-foot homesites are among our top sellers,” says Lawren Eckhardt, Cane Island director of marketing. “They provide buyers with the ability to design a large family room on a smaller, more affordable footprint.” David Weekley homes will start in the $349,000s while Perry homes are priced from the $370,000s, respectively. New move-in ready homes from both builders will become availabl...

Harris County Precinct 3 opens Steve Radack Community Center

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

By: Danic Lloyd - Community Impact Officials with Harris County Precinct 3 held a grand opening May 27 for the Steve Radack Community Center at 18650 Clay Road, Houston. The new facility was built above the flood plain to replace the Bear Creek Community Center, which was damaged beyond repair in Hurricane Harvey. The project cost nearly $7 million and was funded by Precinct 3 and federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds, officials said. It is named after the precinct’s former commissioner of more than 30 years. Radack was the first Harris County commissioner to establish senior education centers, and official...

HCESD 48 hires permanent fire chief

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

By R. Hans Miller, News Editor - Katy Times Harris County Emergency Services District 48 has a new fire chief after hiring George McAteer to fill the role. The department had been without a permanent chief since the retirement of former Fire Chief Jeff Hevey in October of 2020. “I’m very thankful to the ESD-48 Commissioners for their faith and confidence in me to guide this department forward. The fire service is about serving the community and being there to help during someone’s worst day ever,” McAteer said in a statement issued by the department. McAteer brings 36 years of experience to th...

Upcoming Greenbusch Road project to improve mobility, give ‘old, old road’ an upgrade

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact An upcoming project to repair and widen Greenbusch Road will improve mobility and provide a much-needed facelift to one of the oldest roads in Fort Bend County, according to county officials. The upcoming project, which aims to improve mobility in the area, will construct a four-lane concrete road on Greenbusch between Gaston Road and Westheimer Parkway as well as a new bridge over Buffalo Bayou. The road currently is two lanes wide and has ditches on both sides. Increasing the width of the road from two lanes to four lanes will help improve mobility and decrease congestio...

COVID-19 recovery, reopening discussed at May Katy Area EDC GA meeting

Thursday, May 27, 2021

May 25, 2021 - Katy Area Economic Development Council welcomed members and guests to its monthly general assembly meeting on Tuesday, May 18 held at Aloft Hotel Katy. With a return to pre-pandemic life and activities ongoing, Katy Area EDC hosted representatives from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and Fisher Phillips LLP to discuss the reopening process and how businesses can best navigate it. Mark Winchester, Deputy District Director for Houston District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, provided an update on the ongoing efforts of the SBA to support the economic recovery from COVID-19. He discussed the numerou...

LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch Eyes Thriving Summer and Fall Seasons with New Stores, Restaurants and Events

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Release provided by LaCenterra Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch has remained a staple of family friendly activity in the Katy community and surrounding areas. Through obtainment of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities, LaCenterra aims to deliver a fun and safe experience to its visitors through engaging events and customer-centric establishments. Many LaCenterra stores have seen a significant spike in sales and foot traffic in the early months of 2021, with multiple establishments reporting record numbers exceeding those of 2019 and previous years. Off the heels of th...

HCC Katy to open new campus in 2022

Friday, May 21, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact Houston Community College will be moving its Katy campus to 22910 Colonial Parkway, Katy, in spring 2022. The new facility is a $55 million investment from HCC and will be more than 125,000 square feet, said HCC President Zachary Hodges during a May 17 presentation to Katy City Council. Since its inception, HCC had offered freshmen- and sophomore-level courses while the University of Houston offered junior, senior, and graduate courses. Hodges said the new HCC campus will now allow students to “start in Katy and finish in Katy.” “It's not easy to drive to the University o...

TxDOT, advocacy group look at feasibility of Hwy. 36A corridor through Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller counties

Friday, May 21, 2021

By: Haley Morrison - Community Impact The Texas Department of Transportation is in the midst of the feasibility study and environmental study for the Hwy. 36A project. If it comes to fruition, the project would build 65 miles of Hwy. 36A, creating a corridor from Port Freeport to Brazosport to North Texas, Highway 36A Coalition spokesperson Jim Fredricks said. The project is separated into two sections: Hwy. 36A South would run from the existing Hwy. 36 south to the I-10 and Hwy. 90A intersection. Hwy. 36A would run from the I-10 and Hwy. 90A intersection to Hwy. 6 north of Hempstead. Th...

New funding available soon for small businesses hit by COVID-19 in Fort Bend County

Thursday, May 13, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Small businesses in Fort Bend County that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic can soon apply for up to $25,000 in relief due to new funding made available by the county. Fort Bend County officials have made new funding from the American Rescue Plan Act available through the county's small-business emergency grant program, a program designed to help small businesses recover from the pandemic. Information about the program was shared during a virtual webinar May 12 hosted by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with other area entities including the Katy Area Chambe...

Katy Area Economic Development Council Resolution for Economic Development Week

Monday, May 10, 2021

WHEREAS, the International Economic Development Council is the largest professional economic development organization dedicated to serving economic developers; and WHEREAS, the International Economic Development Council provides leadership and excellence in economic development for communities, members, and partners through conferences, training courses, advisory services and research, in-depth publications, public policy advocacy, and initiatives such as the Accredited Economic Development Organization program and the Certified Economic Developer designation; and WHEREAS, economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base; and WHEREAS, economic developers stimulate an...

First Texas PopStroke, designed by Tiger Woods, coming to Katy

Friday, May 07, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact The first Texas location of PopStroke, a Florida-based golf entertainment facility designed by Tiger Woods, is coming to the Katy area in 2022. The attraction will be built on a 3.2-acre tract at the Katy Grand and feature an 8,000-square-foot restaurant. "PopStroke is the most innovative family-oriented golf concept in today's entertainment category. Choosing Katy Grand for its flagship location in Texas is an incredible honor," said Jeff Hayes, managing partner of NewQuest's land and tenant advisory services. The facility will consist of two 18-hole golf courses designed by Woods at a variety of skill levels. I...

TWC Approves $790 Million Assistance Package for Child Care in Texas

Wednesday, May 05, 2021

Release by TWC Media Contact: James Bernsen Phone: 512-463-8556 AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) authorized $790 million to support the stability of the child care sector and assist providers in responding to impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency. These funds, which will be provided to all regulated child care providers, will assist them in addressing the increased operating expenses they have faced as a result of the pandemic. The funding comes from $1.1 billion that TWC received through the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. “A strong child care network is vital to Texas’ economy but increased operating expenses resulting fro...

Katy ISD $676.23M bond package passes; Rebecca Fox, Dawn Champagne win races for board of trustees

Monday, May 03, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact All four propositions making up Katy ISD's $676.23 million bond package received support from voters in the May 1 election, according to the unofficial final results. The bond package will fund more than 400 projects across the district, including the construction of five new schools, major renovations for aging campuses, safety improvements and technology upgrades for schools. According to the unofficial final results, 6,142 residents, or 71.76% of voters, cast their ballots in favor of Proposition A, while 2,417 residents, or 28.24% of voters, voted against it. The proposition makes up the majority of the bond packag...

Newcomers Dan Smith, Gina Hicks elected to Katy City Council; $6M bond package passes

Monday, May 03, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Newcomers Dan Smith and Gina Hicks have been elected to serve on Wards A and B, respectively, of the Katy City Council, according to the unofficial final results. Smith received 72.17%, or 446 early and election day votes, for Ward A, while opponent Diane Walker received 27.83%, or 172 votes. The seat is currently held by Council Member William "Dusty" Thiele, who was appointed in November to fill a vacancy and did not seek re-election. Newcomer Hicks garnered 62.06%, or 476 votes, for Ward B. Incumbent Council Member Jenifer Jordan Stockdick received 37.94%, or 291 votes. Additionally, the majorit...

Fort Bend County transportation bond to fund ‘unique’ downtown Fulshear project

Friday, April 23, 2021

By: Claire Shoop - Community Impact To improve mobility in downtown Fulshear for both cars and pedestrians, the city, along with Fort Bend County, is working to convert Wallis and Main streets into a one-way pair. A one-way pair, also called a couplet, is two parallel one-way streets often used in downtown areas that provide for a safer flow of traffic, said Sharon Valiante, public works director for the city of Fulshear. Money to begin the Wallis project—which includes the reconstruction of the roadway as well as plans to widen the street and extend it to FM 1093—was approved by voters in Novembe...

Katy Area EDC GA features presentations from Mayor of Fulshear, Katy ISD

Friday, April 23, 2021

For the first time in over a year, Katy Area Economic Development Council welcomed members and guests for an in-person general assembly meeting while adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines. The meeting, which was hosted by Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston West-Katy, was headlined by presentations from Aaron Groff, Mayor of Fulshear, and a presentation by Katy ISD covering the May 1 bond referendum. For those members not able to attend, the meeting was streamed. Groff, who was elected in 2018, leads the growing City of Fulshear which encompasses the southwestern portion of the Katy area. Recently named the fastest growing communit...

Texas, Florida and Washington ranked most innovative states

Friday, April 16, 2021

By: Hannah Mitchell - Beckers Hospital Institue The U.S. remains a global leader in innovation, while Texas, Florida and Washington are ranked the most innovative states, according to a March 26 article published by The Wall Street Journal. Research by the Draper Hero Institute created an index of emerging innovative hot spots to recognize the development of advanced technology and economic growth. Four things to know about the innovation results: Washington, Florida and Texas ranked as the top three U.S. states for innovation overall. California scored high for its thriving tech sector in the Silicon Valley but was marked down for high taxes and stat...

Gross Domestic Product by State, 4th Quarter 2020 and Annual 2020

Monday, April 12, 2021

Information from Bureau of Economic Analysis Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the fourth quarter of 2020, as real GDP for the nation increased at an annual rate of 4.3 percent, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The percent change in real GDP in the fourth quarter ranged from 9.9 percent in South Dakota to 1.2 percent in the District of Columbia (table 1). Read the full story here

Katy-area counties eye population growth and annual budgets

Monday, March 29, 2021

By: Community Impact - Laura Aebi At the State of the Counties event hosted by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce on March 11, Waller, Fort Bend and Harris county officials discussed the hurdles of 2020 and their unusual start to 2021. Harris County Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo kicked off the event by acknowledging the gray area of early-2021—beyond what many hope was the peak of the pandemic, but before herd immunity has taken effect. “We are at a time of both hope—and despair,” Hidalgo said. “Despair because of how much we’ve lost. In Harris County, over 3,300 people have died. Countless hav...

As $676.23M bond package heads to voters, Katy ISD plans for district’s future

Friday, March 26, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Katy Elementary School’s history dates back to 1898, when the first public one-room schoolhouse was built to educate students in the new town. The present school, which was built in 1965 and renovated most recently in 1995 to accommodate Katy’s growing population, sits on the same site and is still attended by descendants of some of the original settlers to the Katy area. While the decades of life have earned Katy Elementary a historic landmark designation, the years also have brought on challenges as the campus has aged. Lack of storage and classroom space, temperature issues an...

Katy Area EDC supports UH Katy campus expansion funding, Katy ISD bond propositions

Monday, March 15, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council announces its support for funding expansion projects on the University of Houston Katy campus and four Katy ISD bond propositions. Katy Area EDC passed a resolution in support of $92,250,000 million of state funding from the Texas Legislature for expanding the University of Houston Katy campus and facilities. The University of Houston at Katy and the University of Houston-Victoria at Katy campus, located on a 46-acre development within the Katy area, is part of the UH System and requires more space for programs in energy, engineering, and medical services and training. Specifically, Katy Area EDC supports the constructio...

Population, median income increased in Katy area from 2014-19

Monday, March 15, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Spanning Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties, the Katy area saw, on average, a 30.5% increase in population from 2014 to 2019 across its six ZIP codes. Five of the six area ZIP codes saw an increase in median household income. On average, the Katy area saw an increase of 11.8% in median household income from 2014 to 2019, slightly less than the increases in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey, Community Impact Newspaper looked at population growth, changes in median household income, the age breakdown, local demographi...

Upcoming Katy transportation projects focus on increasing mobility to match continued growth

Thursday, March 11, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Of all the priorities for transportation projects in Katy slated for 2021 and the years ahead, increasing mobility to keep up with the city’s growth is at the forefront, according to Katy’s State of the City presentation in mid-January. During the annual presentation, city officials acknowledged the elevated sales tax revenue and continued growth Katy saw during the past year despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “People are coming,” City Administrator Byron Hebert said at the event. “You can’t put a house on the market fast enough before it’s sold.” To meet that demand for growth, Hebert said, th...

Stanley Award winners announced at Katy Area EDC GA meeting

Tuesday, March 02, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted it February General Assembly meeting virtually on Tuesday, February 23. The monthly meeting was headlined by the announcement of the winners of the fifth annual Stan C. Stanley “Eagle” Leadership and Economic Development Awards. This year’s award winners are Downy Vickery (volunteer) and Steve Radack (elected official). Both men have provided outstanding contributions to the Katy area community and Katy Area EDC is honored to recognize their service. Vickery is a longtime Katy Area EDC Board member and previously served as President of Tradition Bank while Radack previously served as Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner. “O...

Once completed, Texas Heritage Parkway to connect I-10 to FM 1093

Monday, March 01, 2021

Construction on the $55 million Texas Heritage Parkway project connecting FM 1093 to I-10 is underway, according to Andy Meyers, Fort Bend County Precinct 3 commissioner. Meyers said construction from just south of FM 1093 to Kingsland Boulevard is 70% complete and is expected to be finished by the end of July. However, work on the segment connecting the new road from Kingsland Boulevard to I-10 is projected to begin in March and may not be completed until October. Meyers said that before the Texas Heritage Parkway, Grand Parkway and FM 1463 served as the two main connections from I-10 to F...

Texas Ranked Top Exporting State For 19th Consecutive Year

Monday, March 01, 2021

Release by Office of the Governor Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement after the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Texas the top exporting state for the 19th consecutive year. With $279.3 billion in exports in 2020, Texas exports accounted for more than California and New York combined. The Lone Star State also led the nation in tech exports for the eighth year in a row. "Texas’ exporting prowess is a testament to our business-friendly climate, strong trade partnerships, and most of all, the millions of hardworking Texans in communities across our state,” said Governor Abbott. “The Lone Star State has fostered an environmen...

2020 Katy Area Development Map now available

Friday, February 26, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council has released its 2020 Katy Area Development Map. The aerial map, which is created annually, includes current and planned thoroughfares, residential communities, commercial developments, industrial areas, schools and hospitals, city, county boundaries, city limits, ETJ’s, retail areas and other pertinent community development information. The map is offered in two sizes: 42” X 58” and the 24” X 36". Included below is pricing information. Members of the Katy Area EDC are provided a limited number of free map(s) and discounts on the purchase of additional copies. 42” x 58” Large Map – Member (32% discount): $85.00 42” x 58” Large Map – Non-member: $125.00 24” x 36” Small Map – Member (50% discount)...

TEDC Presents the 2020 Economic Excellence Recognition at 2021 Legislative Conference

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

For more information contact: Mr. Carlton Schwab President/CEO Texas Economic Development Council (512) 480-8432 carlton@texasedc.org February 23, 2021 - The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) announced the recipients of its annual Economic Excellence Recognition program for 2020. The awards were presented on Tuesday, February 23rd, during the TEDC’s 2021 Legislative Conference hosted virtually, February 22-26, 2021. 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 economi...

City of Katy officials provide State of the City update at January GA

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Katy Area Economic Development Council held its monthly General Assembly meeting virtually on Tuesday, January 19. Members and guests gathered to hear a State of City of Katy address from Mayor Bill Hastings and City Administrator Byron Hebert. Hastings, who took office in May of 2019, and Hebert addressed the events of the past year within the City of Katy. Despite the immense and unprecedented challenges in 2020, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Katy continued its growth both in population and among the business community. Hastings noted the City exceeded expectations in tax collections from initial projections at th...

LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch Achieves GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation

Tuesday, February 09, 2021

Release provided by LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch Katy, Texas - February 9, 2021 - LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch has announced that it has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facility. As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. Th...

Cane Island Parkway project nears completion

Monday, January 18, 2021

By: Laura Aebi - Community Impact The project at the intersection of Cane Island Parkway and I-10 is expected to finish early this year, widening the two-lane road into a four-lane road with the addition of a median and drainage improvements. Timeline: Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2021. Cost: $6.27 million Funding source: Fort Bend Mobility Bond funds Full Story

Proposed Katy ISD bond would fund 5 new campuses, facility renovations

Monday, January 18, 2021

By: Morgan Theophil - Community Impact Deliberations have begun about a bond proposed by Katy ISD that is designed to address the rapid student growth occurring in the district. About 110 community bond advisory committee members met Jan. 13 for the first of three meetings to review the district’s campus and facility capital needs in consideration of a May bond referendum. The proposed bond would provide funding for five new campuses as well as renovations to several of the district’s current facilities. Lisa Kassman, the district’s executive director of facilities, planning and construction, told the committee the renovations and proposed new facilities are “no...

PPP Loan Update - January 2021

Friday, January 08, 2021

As part of the recent stimulus package passed by the United States Congress, new funding is now available in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The application process will open Monday, January 11 for those businesses who have not yet received a PPP loan and on Wednesday, January 13 for those businesses who have previously received PPP funds. Please note, eligibility requirements and approved lenders have changed from previous PPP programs. For more information, please utilize the links below. SBDC PPP Update SBA PPP Update Presentation 2020 Approved Lenders

U-Haul Ranks 50 States by Migration Growth: Tennessee claims No. 1 spot for first time; Texas in top 2 for fifth straight year

Thursday, January 07, 2021

PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 4, 2021) — If you’re of the opinion Tennessee is a fun place to visit and would be a beautiful spot to live, take a number and get in line. U-Haul® customers are well ahead of you. The Volunteer State posted the largest net gain of U-Haul® trucks crossing its borders in 2020, making it the No. 1 U-Haul growth state for the first time. Growth states are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state versus leaving that state in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-wa...

Fort Bend County Vaccine Distribution Information

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Information provided by Fort Bend County The COVID-19 vaccines are one of the best tools available for ending the pandemic. Now that the vaccines coming to Fort Bend County, arming ourselves with accurate vaccine information is critical. Read the facts about the COVID-19 vaccines. The first vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization (EUA), which will eventually allow millions of people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result of this breakthrough, many people have questions about the vaccine and the road ahead. On this page, you will find answers to some of the most common questions peopl...

Fulshear fastest-growing city in Texas, census reveals

Monday, January 04, 2021

By: Claire Goodman - Houston Chronicle Fulshear is officially the fastest-growing city in Texas, according to numbers from the 2020 U.S. Census. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau were released Dec. 15 and published through the American Community Survey, a division of the Census Bureau responsible for disseminating the information. The results were not surprising to Fulshear-area community leaders. This is the second year Fulshear has earned the title, and the explosive growth in the area has only continued to increase. Only a decade ago, the population of Fulshear was 1,134 according to city demographic reports. Today, the population is more than 16,000 an...

Crystal Lagoons amenity coming to new Katy-area community

Monday, December 28, 2020

By: Marie Leonard - Community Impact The upcoming Sunterra development in Katy will soon be home to a 3.5-acre Crystal Lagoons amenity, featuring several beaches, an island, a clubhouse and a pool overlooking the lagoon. Construction is expected to begin on the lagoon before the end of the year on the property owned by developer Land Tejas along Clay and Pitts roads. “This will be the only place in Katy where you’ll have the turquoise blue waters and white sand beach experience within walking distance from your home or a short ride on your golf cart or bicycle using our 12-foot GreenBoLT trail,&rdquo...

Local non-profits, Pepperl+Fuchs present at December GA

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Members and guests of Katy Area Economic Development Council gathered virtually on Tuesday, December 15 to hear from two Katy area non-profits, Rotary Club of Katy and Amazing Place, along with Katy area company Pepperl+Fuchs. While challenges have been felt by organizations throughout the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic, each presenter provided a positive outlook on their work within the Katy area. Jim Bolin, Executive Vice President at Pepperl+Fuchs discussed the work of the multi-national company and its Katy area facility. The company is a diversified industrial enterprise with over 6,000 employees worldwide and is a world leader in sensin...

Houston Methodist West Hospital celebrates 10 years

Friday, December 18, 2020

Bty; Claire Goodman - Houston Chronicle Ten years ago, Houston Methodist Hospital systems opened its Katy location. The facility had 100 beds and 336 employees, and opened with a promise to bring the best treatments in the medical field to Katy. Today, Houston Methodist Hospital West has 239 beds, 1,700 employees, and it continues to bring cutting-edge treatments to the area. “The growth of the hospital over the past ten years has been phenomenal,” said Houston Methodist Hospital West chief executive officer Wayne Voss. “We found that the community really wanted a hospital that could provide the type of comprehensive, advanced health car...

Katy ISD eyes May bond as district grows

Thursday, December 17, 2020

By: Laura Abei - Community Impact In response to the school district’s continued growth, Katy ISD discussed at its most recent board meeting the creation of a community bond advisory committee to review funding needs in consideration of a May 2021 bond referendum. The item was discussed shortly after the KISD board of trustees received the district’s annual demographic update from Populations and Survey Analysts, which delved into the district’s growth, despite the pandemic. In that presentation, PASA predicted the current KISD enrollment of 84,000 students would increase to more than 100,000 students by 2027. PASA predicted much of that growth woul...

Fort Bend County Small Business Emergency Grant Program: Addtional Funds Now Available

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court has approved a small business emergency grant program to assist businesses impacted by Covid-19. Additional funds were approved December 8, 2020 to provide financial assistance to the small business community. These funds are committed from the federal CARES Act dollars allocated to Fort Bend County for Covid-19 relief efforts. For more details, click here.

See how Harris County’s population has changed in the past 5 years

Thursday, December 10, 2020

By: Danica Lloyd - Community Impact From 2014-19, Harris County’s population grew by 8.8%—slightly more than the state’s overall 8.3% growth in population, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Dec. 10. The average Harris County resident is slightly younger and more educated than the average Texas resident with a median age of 33.5 and 31.5% of residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. The state’s median age is 34.6, and 29.9% of residents have earned a bachelor’s degree of higher. Texas exceeded the county, however, in its increase in the median household income in the time frame o...

Katy area health care providers share updates on care options, loan assistance discussed at November Katy Area EDC GA

Monday, November 30, 2020

Katy Area Economic Development Council members and community partners gathered virtually for the November Katy Area EDC General Assembly meeting. The meeting, held Tuesday, November 17, featured presentations from Houston Methodist West, Memorial Hermann Katy and Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation. Jerry Ashworth of Memorial Hermann shared an update on the ongoing response of the hospital system to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashworth serves as Senior Vice President & CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy and Memorial Hermann Cypress, and explained the hospital continues to put forth all resources to fight the pandemic. He noted case numbers have been slowly increasing, and th...

Harris County Multimodal Thoroughfare Plan takes holistic approach to countywide connectivity

Monday, November 23, 2020

By: Hannah Zedaker - Community Impact Officials with the Harris County Engineering Department and EHRA, a Houston-based civil engineering firm, presented an update to the ongoing countywide Multimodal Thoroughfare Plan in a virtual webinar Nov. 17. The Harris County Multimodal Thoroughfare Plan is a comprehensive effort to assess current and future transportation needs in unincorporated Harris County, including roads for cars and trucks, mass transit, bike lanes and pedestrian routes. The plan, which is being spearheaded by Chris Browne, EHRA vice president and practice area leader of planning and visioning, is just one component of the Countywide Transportation Plan, which also includes the Equity in Transportatio...

Certainty and Predictability Are the Winning States’ Hallmarks

Friday, November 13, 2020

By: Mark Arend - Site Selection Magazine State business climates are exceedingly competitive in 2020, if Site Selection’s latest Business Climate Ranking is any indication. For the first time ever, two states claim the top spot — Georgia, which now has an eight-year run in first place, and North Carolina, which missed tying Georgia last year by just two points. What’s more, there are two additional sets of tied states in the Top 10, Texas and South Carolina in fourth place and Alabama and Arizona in seventh. Half the ranking is based on a survey of corporate executives and site selectors (aske...

Where FDI drives the bus

Friday, November 13, 2020

By: Adam Bruns - Site Selection Magazine Since the late 1980s, the global corporate facility projects database maintained and populated by Conway Data has tracked project locations and expansions by companies of every stripe in every U.S. state. But only within the past decade did we add to our columns of data a category tracking investing companies by country of ultimate beneficial owner. Now that a critical mass of projects has been tracked, this fall we analyzed the 1,686 U.S. projects we’ve tracked since 2015 that have had at least a share of involvement by a foreign-based firm (i.e. joint ventures count)...

Clay Road Community Center slated to open in early 2021

Friday, October 30, 2020

By: Danica Lloyd - Community Impact Harris County Precinct 3 officials said they are halfway through the construction of a new community center at 18650 Clay Road, Houston. The new location—intended to replace Bear Creek Community center, which was damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Harvey—is slated to open during the first quarter of 2021, according to a press release. Clay Road Community Center features seven classrooms, three conference rooms, a 4,000-square-foot community hall and a lounge area to accommodate exercise classes, games, seminars, lectures and community meetings. "I am pleased we have been able to build the new Clay Road Community Center a...

Kelsey-Seybold talks new Katy area facility, Fort Bend County shares update on CARES Act at October GA

Monday, October 26, 2020

The Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its monthly General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, October 20. The virtual meeting brought together members, guests and elected officials to hear presentations from Kelsey-Seybold and Fort Bend County. Kelsey-Seybold representatives Lisa Rowland and Shirley Israel shared information about the recently opened Kelsey-Seybold West Grand Parkway Clinic (2510 W. Grand Parkway). The clinic, which replaces a smaller facility in Cinco Ranch, opened in early summer and will provide enhanced healthcare services to the Katy area. Services offered at the cutting-edge facility range from cardiology and dermatology to pediatrics. The site also features ultrasound technology, ...

The Fast 100 list by HBJ includes several area companies

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Recently, the Houston Business Journal released The Fast 100 list recognizing the fastest growing companies in the Houston region as ranked by two year revenue growth as of 2019. Several Katy Area EDC members and area companies made the list. Katy Area EDC would like to extend a special congratulations to the following companies for their inclusion on The Fast 100 list: Liberty Lift Solutions LLC. (#12) Encore Search Partners (#29) Velentium LLC (#30) Elevated Technologies (#43) Accurate Meter and Supply (#53) Uprite Services (#70) Alston Construction (#83) Salata Salad Kitchen (#96) Learn more about the The Fast 100 at bizjournals.com/houston/.

MD Anderson earns fifth Magnet designation for nursing excellence

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

MD Anderson News Release October 13, 2020 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced achievement of its fifth consecutive Magnet designation, the highest distinction for nursing excellence granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. MD Anderson received a unanimous vote from the appraisal team and joins an elite group of institutions, with only about 20 hospitals nationwide being recognized five times during the program’s 26-year history. “Magnet recognition is truly the gold standard in nursing, and we are honored to have maintained this designation since first receiving it in 2001,” said Carol Porter, D.N.P., RN, FAAN, senior vice presiden...

TEDC Announces Board Chair, New Board Members and Election of Board Treasurer

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Release provided by TEDC 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) at its Board Meeting on October 9th, 2020, recognized Greg Sims, President, Greenville Economic Development Corporation, as the 2021 Chair of the Board of Directors. Greg will serve as board chair effective October 9, 2020, through October 15, 2021. He has been a member of the TEDC’s Executive Committee since 2017. The TEDC’s Nominating Committee put forth the six individuals for election to the TEDC’s board of directors. The TEDC’s board officially elected these new board members fo...

Katy Area EDC September GA focuses on diversity, upcoming Fort Bend County bond proposals

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

September 22, 2020 - On Tuesday, September 15, Katy Area Economic Development Council hosted its monthly General Assembly meeting. The event, which took place virtually, was headlined by presentations from Katy Area EDC Diversity Committee Chair Karla Hernandez DeCuir, Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers and Capital Real Estate. Decuir, Senior Director of Enrollment Management & External Affairs at UHV Katy, leads the Katy Area EDC Diversity Committee. During her presentation, she noted the importance of diversity and the role which Katy Area EDC can play in promoting opportunities to the Katy area business community. She further explained a primary objective o...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

How effective is a mask?

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

How effective is a mask?

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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-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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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