News and Media

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

Monday, October 14, 2019

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

States with the most people moving to Texas

Tuesday, October 08, 2019

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

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

Monday, October 07, 2019

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

Construction begins on Katy-area office development

Thursday, October 03, 2019

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

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

Saturday, September 28, 2019

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

Katy Area EDC celebrates local manufacturing industry on MFG Day

Friday, September 27, 2019

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

City of Katy OEM presentation headlines September Katy Area EDC GA

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

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

Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital Earns National Recognition for Quality and Safety

Monday, September 23, 2019

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

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

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

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

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

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

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

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

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

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

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

Monday, September 09, 2019

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

Fulshear’s Cross Creek Town Center signs new tenants

Monday, September 09, 2019

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

Higher education expansion to help Katy-area economy

Thursday, September 05, 2019

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

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

Wednesday, September 04, 2019

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

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

Thursday, August 29, 2019

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

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

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

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

Kelsey-Seybold to develop clinic at Grand Morton Town Center

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

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

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

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

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

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

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

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

UHV chosen as best college in Katy by magazine poll

Monday, August 26, 2019

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

Commercial development coming to residential area in Katy

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

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

Submarket Spotlight: Katy Area

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

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

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

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

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

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

Monday, August 19, 2019

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

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

Monday, August 19, 2019

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

Katy Shoppers Uncover Treasures at Local Resale Stores

Saturday, August 03, 2019

From vintage clothes to designer handbags, Katy’s resale shops provide budget-friendly shopping adventures. If you are looking for a special occasion accessory, a gently used couch or a unique gift, your treasure hunt starts here. Read full article.

USDA, Texas Department of Agriculture OK Texas Rural Challenge commitments

Friday, August 02, 2019

AUSTIN -- The rural development arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture recently signed a commitment to back the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Texas Rural Challenge. The initiative, which is overseen by UT San Antonio’s Institute for Economic Development, secured a commitment to increase access to financing in rural areas of mutual interest. TDA Commissioner Sid Miller and Texas state director for USDA Rural Development Edd Hargett approved the partnership at UT San Antonio’s 10th annual Texas Rural Challenge in New Braunfels. Read full article.

Best & Worst States to Start a Business

Thursday, August 01, 2019

Starting a business is never easy. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, about a fifth of all startups typically don’t survive past year one of operation, and nearly half never make it to their fifth anniversary. But startups fail for different reasons, a “bad location” among the most common. Choosing the right state for a business is therefore crucial to its success. A state that provides the ideal conditions for business creation — access to cash, skilled workers and affordable office space, for instance — can help new ventures not only take off but also thrive. Read full article.

City of Katy may expand 10 acres for new retail development

Friday, July 19, 2019

By Jen Para | 9:43 pm July 17, 2019 CDT The city of Katy may get a few acres bigger. According to Houston City Council documents, the city of Katy provided a letter to Houston expressing its intent to annex about 10 acres of land inside Houston’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, or a band of unincorporated land surrounding a city’s limits which it can eventually annex. Council approved an ordinance July 17 to release the land. The land is located near the intersection of FM 1463 and Spring Green Boulevard, according to council documents. Property owners plan to sell the land to developer Cross Development LLC, which plans t...

Katy Economic Development Council applauds positive impact of Katy Ranch Offices

Friday, July 19, 2019

Houston, TX – Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has been appointed as the exclusive leasing agent for 150,920 square feet (sf) of office space under construction at 24279 Katy Freeway in Katy, TX. The project, Phase II of the Katy Ranch Offices development, has broken ground and is available for preleasing for summer 2020 delivery. Avison Young Principals Sam Hansen and Doug Pack, who are based in Houston, will represent the landlord, Mike Baker, CEO of Freeway Properties. Avison Young and Freeway Properties held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday together with Lance LaCour, President and CEO of the Katy Area Economic Development Council(EDC); A.J. Breneman, Principal of Powers Brown Architecture and Kerry LaGrone, Managing Partner of LSI Genera...

Katy to see more development northwest of I-10

Friday, July 19, 2019

By Nola Z. Valente | 6:30 am July 18, 2019 CDT Sources: Population and Survey Analysts, KISD/Community Impact Newspaper | Designed by Anya Gallant After years of accelerated growth, residential development in south Katy is approaching build-out. Demographics firm Population and Survey Analysts projects Katy ISD’s boundaries will be built-out south of I-10 by 2028, while the construction of thousands of new homes is expected to continue north of I-10 and southwest into Lamar CISD. Six years ago, 31% of the land within KISD boundaries was undeveloped, according to PASA. In 2018, 21% of the land was undeveloped. PASA demographer Pat Guseman, who has been working with KISD sinc...

MD Anderson Cancer Center opens outpatient center in Katy-area

Saturday, July 13, 2019

By Jen Para | 8:00 am July 13, 2019 CDT MD Anderson Cancer Center hosted an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony of its new 260,000-square-foot West Houston outpatient center at 13900 Katy Freeway, Houston, on June 20, according to a press release. MD Anderson relocated the teams, services and staff at an existing campus at 19770 Kingsland Blvd., Houston, to the new facility, which offers oncology and therapy services and a diagnostic laboratory. New MD Anderson Cancer Center

Texas tops the U.S. for real estate development spending and jobs

Monday, July 01, 2019

For the second year in a row, Texas topped the nation in real estate development activity in 2018. With almost $26 billion in direct spending on real estate projects, the Texas building sector contributed more than $62 billion to the state's economy last year, according to a report from the NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. The development sector supported more than 400,000 jobs in the state last year, the industry trade group said in its annual economic impact report. Read full article.

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

Monday, May 06, 2019

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

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

Friday, May 03, 2019

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

UH Katy In Brief - April 2019

Thursday, May 02, 2019

Click Here for UH Katy In Brief - April 2019

Energy Recovery Moves Forward with Commercial Development Center in Texas

Monday, April 22, 2019

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

Job Posting: Katy Area EDC seeks Communications Manager

Monday, April 22, 2019

Job Posting: Katy Area EDC seeks Communications Manager The Communications Manager is responsible for developing and implementing communications plans and activities that promote the economic development and brand of the Katy, Texas area. These plans include the marketing elements of Katy Area 2021, the Katy Area Strategic Economic Development Plan; and Katy Area EDC Annual Work Plans. The position is a part-time, non-exempt position that reports to the President/CEO of the Katy Area EDC. Responsibilities/duties include the management, review and coordination of the following: public relations, media relations, advertising and informational materials, graphics, email, website, social media, branding and co-branding, editing an...

Houston crowned most diverse city in America by new report

Thursday, April 11, 2019

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

Newpark to showcase stimulation, completion fluids at OTC

Thursday, April 11, 2019

By: World Oil KATY, Texas -- Newpark Fluids Systems will introduce its expanded portfolio of stimulation and completion fluids at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) (May 6-9, 2019; NRG Park, Houston, Texas). In addition, Newpark will showcase the Kronos deepwater drilling fluid system for safer, cleaner and faster offshore operations. Other OTC highlights include a second service facility at Port Fourchon to support offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and a new hydraulics modeling software to help customers achieve greater speed, agility and precision on even the most challenging sites. “In response to customer demand, we are pleased to announce tha...

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

Tuesday, April 09, 2019

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

TxDOT seeks comments on proposed FM 529 widening

Monday, April 08, 2019

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

KOBELCO celebrates production of 1000th excavator at USA manufacturing facility

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

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

HARRIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT 48 TO CELEBRATE GROUNDBREAKING OF NEW FIRE STATION

Monday, March 25, 2019

Katy, TX, March 20, 2019– Harris County ESD No. 48 Fire and EMS (HCESD 48) is proud to announce our groundbreaking ceremony on March 28th, 2019 at 4:30pm to celebrate the upcoming construction of a new Fire Station No. 1. The ceremony is open to the public and will be held at the future Fire Station No. 1 location at 24127 Western Centre Drive, Katy, Texas 77449. Site work will begin in the next few weeks on construction of the 18,481-square-foot fire station. Until the permanent fire station is completed, crews will be housed on-site in a temporary facility. The ne...

CROSS CREEK TOWN CENTER BREAKS GROUND IN FULSHEAR

Friday, March 22, 2019

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

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

Thursday, March 21, 2019

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

How to Eat Your Way Through Katy

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

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

State Representative Gina Calanni District Office Opening Event

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

View Flyer Here

Katy Hockley drainage project to begin, road closure expected

Monday, March 18, 2019

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

1st Quarter Newsletter - Katy Ranch Crossing

Thursday, March 14, 2019

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

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

Monday, March 11, 2019

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

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

Friday, March 08, 2019

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

City of Katy hosts grand opening for Fire Station No. 2 just one day before saving drowning child

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Fire protection in Katy has expanded in the southern portion of the city. The city of Katy held a grand opening March 2 for Fire Station No. 2 at 25420 Bell Patna Drive, Katy, according to a press release. The station began taking calls at noon that day. Construction for the station began in late 2017. Plans called for housing 16 firefighters and an ambulance crew. The city had received a $2.18 million grant in August 2017 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fund the expansion. “The area near Katy Mills Mall has many high occupancy and targe...

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

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

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

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

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

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

Katy sets grand opening of fire station No. 2

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

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

2019 Katy Area EDC Work Plan unveiled at February GA

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

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

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

Monday, February 25, 2019

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

Zoombang Outperforms All Top Impact Sportsware Companies

Monday, February 25, 2019

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

TEDC Presents Economic Excellence Recognition at 2019 Legislative Conference

Sunday, February 24, 2019

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

Christ Clinic expanding Kingsland location in Katy

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

By: Community Impact Staff Christ Clinic is expanding its clinic at 25722 Kingsland Blvd., Ste. 111, Katy, director Lara Hamilton said. The expansion comes as the clinic moves administrative staff to a new office at 802 Dominion Drive, Katy, near community partners Clothed By Faith and Hope Impacts. The expansion will add four treatment rooms for a total of 14 rooms at the Kingsland location. Christ Clinic provides low-cost health care to the uninsured or those in financial difficulty. Hamilton said the plans to install a second clinic on Dominion Drive were canceled because it was more fiscally responsible to expan...

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

Monday, February 18, 2019

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

Federal funds awarded to Harris County for flood tunnel feasibility study

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Harris County Flood Control District was awarded funding for a feasibility study on building a flood tunnel. The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding of $320,000 to the district to conduct the study, according to a Feb. 7 press release. The district will provide an $80,000 match for a total project cost of $400,000, said Matt Zeve, the deputy executive director for the flood-control district. Large deep-diameter tunnels can move large volumes of stormwater in the case of a major storm event, Zeve told Community Impact Newspaper in August. These tunnels cost billions of dollars and take years t...

Katy City Council approves drainage and water line contracts

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

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

Memorial Hermann Katy Opens New 24/7 Pediatric Emergency Center and Inpatient Care Unit

Thursday, February 07, 2019

Release provided by Memorial Hermann Katy KATY – Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital’s new Pediatric Emergency Center is now open to receive patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The emergency center complements the hospital’s new dedicated pediatric inpatient unit and helps meet the need for specialized, round-the-clock pediatric emergency care in Katy and the greater west Houston area. “As Katy continues to grow, it needs more access points for round-the-clock care available for all ages closer to home,” said Heath Rushing, Senior Vice President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy and Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital. “Emergency medical situations occur at ever...

City of Katy holds groundbreaking for Katy Downtown Plaza

Monday, February 04, 2019

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

Jan. 31 grand opening set for new wing of The Ballard House

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

By: Houston Chronicle - Staff Report The Ballard House, 21421 Cinco Park Road in Katy, will hosting a Jan. 31 Grand Opening Ceremony for their new wing set to open this month. The grand opening is scheduled from 4-7 p.m. It's free to the public, but donations are appreciated. Construction for the new wing began in April 2018. The expansion adds 16 guest rooms, a living room, kitchen and laundry room for guests to use free of charge. The expansion is timely, and The Ballard House founders hope to assist in accommodating the demand from prospective guests and the future University of Texa...

MD Anderson to open new Katy-area facility in summer 2019

Monday, January 28, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact MD Anderson Cancer Center will soon have a new building in the Katy area to better serve the growing population in West Houston. This summer MD Anderson will open a 260,000-square-foot outpatient center at 13900 I-10, Houston, between Eldridge Road and Park & Ride Drive, Associate Director of Public Relations Julie Penne said in an email. MD Anderson expects the new facility will have about 150 full-time employees. MD Anderson has an existing Katy-area facility on the campus of Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital, formerly known as Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital, at 19770 Kingsland Blvd., Houston...

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

Friday, January 25, 2019

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

Texas Heritage Parkway to break ground in mid-2019

Friday, January 25, 2019

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

Texas Top-Ranked State for Firm Relocations

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

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

Hyatt Regency to anchor Katy Boardwalk

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact The Katy City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the development agreement for the Katy Boardwalk District development on Jan. 14. The agreement names the long-anticipated hotel operator as the Hyatt Regency, which will be operated by HBH Ventures LLC. City council members declined to comment on the naming of the hotel, which was not openly discussed in the meeting. A formal announcement will be provided within the next two weeks once the agreement has been executed, Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner said. Adoption of the agreement followed a closed-door meeting that included council members, Brawner an...

Katy Area Economic Development Council launches website to showcase business advantages

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

The Katy Area Economic Development Council (Katy Area EDC) has launched a new comprehensive website to bolster its online presence and highlight business opportunities and advantages in this burgeoning area of southeast Texas. Katy Area EDC is focused on business recruitment, development and expansion in and around Katy, Texas, which is just 25 miles west of Houston. The user friendly, online portal includes an array of information about the region, including its workforce, business incentives and quality of life. It features powerful Zoom Prospector and GIS Planning tools that enable auto population of area demographics and community profile data. The website wil...

Phase 2 of Stableside at Falcon Landing to feature restaurants, retail, multi-tenant buildings

Monday, January 14, 2019

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact NewQuest Properties began construction on Phase 2 of The Stableside at Falcon Landing development in early January. The second phase includes the construction of a new 35,000-square-foot section that will be anchored by The Union Kitchen and Jax Grill, said NewQuest Associate Austin Alvis via email. “VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa broke ground in December and is shooting to open by the end of 2019, barring weather delays,” Alvis said. The second phase of the development will also include Sub Zero Ice Cream, Nekter Juice Bar and The Lash Lounge, Alvis said. The new buildings will b...

Dining out: These restaurants are on their way to Katy in 2019

Tuesday, January 08, 2019

By: Jen Para - Community Impact The Katy area is full delicious places to eat and drink, and more options are on the way. The following restaurants are expected to open in 2019. 85°C Bakery Cafe In August we reported that 85°C Bakery Cafe expects to open a new location in the Katy Grand shopping center during the first quarter of 2019. Katy Grand is located in the northeastern corner of the intersection of I-10 and the Grand Parkway The cafe is known for its iced sea salt coffee and its baked goods, and the restaurant offers 60 types of bread, cakes an...

The New Katy Boardwalk District Will Have Its Own 90-Acre Nature Preserve

Thursday, January 03, 2019

By: Gwendolyn Knapp - Houstonia Magazine JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT KATY COULDN’T GET ANY MORE KATY, a major mixed-use development complete with its own nature preserve is breaking ground in the bustling burb this year. Katy Boardwalk District, a new lakefront destination within spitting distance of Typhoon Texas, will house a full-service, four-star conference center hotel, entertainment venues and retail, luxury lofts and 90-acres of natural splendor. KBH Venture is developing the 169 acres at Kingsland Boulevard and Katy Fort Bend Road just south of I-10, and here’s what’s in store. The conference center hotel, designed by Gensler Architects, will have 300-plus rooms, 43,000 square feet o...

U-Haul Names Top 50 Growth States for 2018

Thursday, January 03, 2019

Texas, Florida rank 1-2 for the 3rd year in a row; Illinois tops out-migration states Story by U-Haul Everything continued to be bigger in Texas last year, including the number of U-Haul trucks pulling into the state versus the volume leaving. Texas registered as the U-Haul No. 1 Growth State in America for the third consecutive year, according to U-Haul® data analyzing U.S. migration trends for 2018. Florida ranked second for a third year in row. South Carolina inched up one spot to No. 3, while fast-risers Utah and Idaho rounded out the top five states for growth. Illinois was 50th on the list fo...

Katy Area EDC accepting nominations for Stan C. Stanley “Eagle” Leadership and Economic Development Awards

Thursday, December 27, 2018

In March of 2016, the Katy area community lost a beloved leader and community member in Mr. Stan C. Stanley. Stan was known throughout the Katy area for his big heart and volunteerism through numerous organizations such as the Boys Scouts of America, Katy Area Economic Development Council and Katy ISD. To honor his contributions and lasting legacy, the Katy Area EDC created the Stan C. Stanley “Eagle” Leadership and Economic Development Award. The annual award, which is in its third year, recognizes a volunteer in the Katy area who has made contributions in leadership and economic development to the Kat...

City of Katy awards $2.15M contract for civic and visitor center construction

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact The city of Katy awarded a contract for the construction of the Katy Civic Center and Visitors Center buildings as part of the new Katy Downtown Plaza at the Dec. 10 Katy City Council meeting. Funding for the construction comes from three sources, said Kayce Reina, the city’s director of tourism, marketing and public relations. Funds from bonds, hotel occupancy taxes and flood insurance funds from the 2016 Tax Day Floods would be used to pay for the construction contract, Reina said. The Katy Civic Center will be installed in the old Katy City Hall Buildin...

City of Katy establishes development agreement for Katy Boardwalk featuring 300-room hotel

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact KBH Ventures and the city of Katy have partnered with Benchmark Global Hospitality to develop a conference center anchor for the 169-acre Katy Boardwalk project, according to a press release from Kaplan PR. The conference center will be designed by Gensler and built by Houston-based KDW, the construction firm that built Typhoon Texas. “For residents, the Boardwalk project is a great commercial boom for the city with tax revenue. It will be drawing in commercial business,” said Katy City Council member Chris Harris. “Then also there’s the green space and park which is a grea...

Eleven Katy ISD schools ranked in top 25 in Houston area

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

By: Michelle Iracheta - Houston Chronicle Katy ISD has done it again, as 11 of its schools are named the best in a 2019 ranking released by Niche, a public data analysis site. Four high schools and seven junior high schools made the list in separate categories in the the Top 25 2019 Best Public High Schools and Junior High Schools in the Houston Metropolitan Area. The high schools ranked in the top 25 included Seven Lakes, Cinco Ranch, Tompkins and Taylor high schools. The junior high schools were Seven Lakes, Beck, Beckendorff, Woodcreak, McMeans, Memorial Parkway and Cinco Ranch junior high schools. Chie...

HCC board of trustees approves relocating, expanding Katy campus

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

By: Jen Para - Community Impact By mid-2021, Houston Community College will have a new campus for its west Houston students. The proposal to purchase 24 acres with an option to acquire an additional 30 acres to relocate and expand the Northwest College Katy campus at 228 Colonial Parkway, near the intersection of I-10 and Grand Parkway passed in a 5-2 vote, with two trustees abstaining, at the Dec. 5 board of trustees meeting. “I see it as a vote of confidence in our growth plan,” HCC Northwest President Zachary Hodges said. “Now to get the community on board.” HCC plans to build ...

Trio of Katy area non-profits recognized at December GA

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

In the spirit of the season of giving, the Katy Area Economic Development Council December General Assembly meeting featured three non-profit organizations which play key roles in improving the lives of those in the Katy area community. Katy Prairie Conservancy, Katy Autism Support and The Ballard House were each featured at the monthly meeting which was held at British International School of Houston (BISH). The meeting began with a presentation by BISH Principal Andrew Derry. Derry shared information about the school campus which is located at 2203 North Westgreen Boulevard in Katy. BISH offers a NORD Anglia Education and currently has student...

Crossing at Katy Fulshear entering Phase 2 with upcoming Ross, TJ Maxx and PetSmart retailers

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact The Crossing at Katy Fulshear continues to move toward completion after the Walmart Supercenter opened Aug. 29, said Clay Mealey, a leasing agent with Lovett Commercial. The development has begun the second phase of construction with new buildings going up between the Walmart and the Xscape Theatres already operating on the site. Lovett Commercial is the developer for the property, which is anchored by the Walmart Supercenter, located in the northeastern corner of FM 1093 and FM 1463 in Fulshear. Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Freddy’s Frozen Custard, Spring Creek Barbeque, XPress Oil Change and Barcelona Sporting Good...

Local spirits bar MKT Distillery focuses on Katy’s heritage, family-friendly fun

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact Nick and Nici Jessett opened MKT Distillery on Oct. 6 in the silos on First Street in downtown Katy. The bar offers whiskey and moonshine distilled in-house as well as a selection of nonalcoholic drinks. The Jessetts decided to open the distillery after volunteering at No Label Brewing Co. and taking a trip two years ago to Tennessee, where they toured a distillery. “We decided then and there, ‘let’s bring something like this to Katy,’” Nick said. Named after the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad that runs next to the distillery, MKT sells Aged Texas Corn Whiskey, Bonner’s Point Vodka...

November GA showcases Katy area veteran-owned business

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Members Choice Credit Union corporate headquarters played host to the November Katy Area Economic Development Council meeting. Members and guests gathered for the monthly meeting which featured a presentation by Katy area company Veterans Manufacturing. Michael Hlozek (pictured above), co-founder of Veterans Manufacturing, headlined the meeting by sharing information about the growing company which he helped start. The organization, which is veteran-owned and located on Katy Hockley Road, specializes in manufacturing high-quality ultralight body armor, vehicle shields, bomb blankets, blast mitigation systems, ballistic pfd’s, ballistic clipboards, luggage and other ballistic systems. Notably, the organization is now manufacturing U.S. Coast Guard approve...

Katy ISD reaches 80,000 students

Thursday, November 08, 2018

Katy ISD has officially enrolled 80,000 students across its many campuses. The 80,000th student enrolled at Davidson Elementary School, and the district will celebrate Nov. 9 with a welcome party attended by board of trustee members, superintendents and school administrators, according to a press release. “Expecting to end the year with an enrollment of 80,000 students, or fairly close to it, Katy Independent School District has reached this monumental milestone two months prior to the end of 2018,” the release states. The fast-growing school district will open two new schools for the 2019-2020 school year to accommodate its soaring student population. Four mor...

Australian energy company to build world’s fastest supercomputer in Katy

Sunday, October 28, 2018

By: Paul Takahashi - Houston Chronicle DownUnder GeoSolutions, an Australian oil and gas exploration company, plans to build the world's fastest supercomputer in Katy. The company announced Thursday it is under construction on the new supercomputer facility at Skybox Datacenters' Houston campus, located at 22000 Franz Road near the Energy Corridor. Once finished by February, the facility will house more than 40,000 servers with more than 250 petaflops of computing speed. A computer with one petaflop of computing speed can execute one thousand trillion operations per second. "Houston was a natural choice given the low cost of power and the fact that Skybo...

In-N-Out Burger Picks Katy For Second Houston-Area Location

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

By: Amy McCarthy - Eater Houston In-N-Out Burger may have taken its sweet time in heading to Houston, but fresh off announcing its first Space City outpost, it appears a second area location is in the works. The California-based burger chain has purchased property in Katy at the intersection of I-10 and Katy Fort Bend Road, according to KHOU. A statement issued by In-N-Out after Houston realtor BPI Realty Services made this announcement is characteristically cautious — vice president of real estate and development Carl Arena told KHOU that the chain is “enthusiastic” about the Katy location, but seemed skeptical as t...

Building The UH Engineering Legacy At Katy: From Foundation To New Heights

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Q & A With Founding Director Phaneendra Kondapi Plans for the Cullen College of Engineering to expand into the Katy area grow more concrete each day as the construction of the University of Houston Katy Campus progresses. The 84,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building will open its doors to hundreds of UH engineering students in fall 2019. It started out with baby steps – launching two energy-focused engineering courses at the Houston Community College (HCC) Northwest-Katy Campus in 2016 – and has since grown to more than 15 graduate-level courses. The 2019 offerings will be a giant leap: a full roster of undergraduate courses, graduate courses an...

Katy ISD tops Houston area elementary school list

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

By: Mike Glenn - Houston Chronicle A Pittsburgh, Pa.-based data analysis firm said the top elementary schools in the Houston area are all part of the Katy Independent School District. Niche, the educational data analysis company, compiled data from the Department of Education along with student and teacher surveys to determine the list of top schools. According to Niche, the best elementary campus in the Houston area is Fred & Patti Shafer Elementary School, 5150 Ranch Point Drive. One of the comments from a parent said “We love Shafer! Great teachers and staff. Caring environment.” Katy ISD schools also took second place along wit...

Katy soon to be hub for higher education

Wednesday, October 03, 2018

By: Michelle Iracheta - Houston Chronicle In less than five years, the area at Grand Parkway and Partnership Way in Katy off Interstate 10 could be filled with eager students rushing to get to classes from three different educational institutions. As part of a collaborative effort to make it easier for students to achieve their academic goals, specifically in engineering and nursing; and for the Houston Community College to tap into the growing population that the Katy Independent School District and surrounding districts have experienced, the college system is moving its existing Katy campus to be closer in proximity to the futur...

Memorial Hermann to merge with Baylor Scott & White creating largest health system in Texas

Monday, October 01, 2018

By: Todd Ackerman - Houston Chronicle Memorial Hermann Health System and Baylor Scott & White Health, the state's largest not-for-profit system, have signed a letter of intent to merge, the institutions announced Monday. The merger would create a mega-system stretching from Dallas to Austin to Houston, treating patients in more than 30 Texas counties and employing more than 73,000 people across the state. "This is an opportunity for two progressive, like-minded organizations, who do similar service, to come together and provide a better model of health care," said Chuck Stokes, Memorial Hermann's president and CEO. "Through this combined system, we can reinvent healt...

Visions of Katy: Leadership Institute

Monday, October 01, 2018

Visions of Katy: Leadership Institute Date: October 24, 2018 Time: 6:45 AM - 9:30 AM CDT Event Description: You are cordially invited to Visions of Katy: Leadership Institute. As a visionary leader in the Katy area, please join us for this special event scheduled for Wednesday, October 24 from 6:45 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at The Club at Falcon Point. The cost is $25. Breakfast will be provided. As with previous Visions of Katy events, our intention is to gather a broad and diverse group to share ideas about the opportunities and possibilities for this topic in our prosperous and growing community. All we ask of yo...

iRace Entertainment now open in Katy

Friday, September 28, 2018

iRace Entertainment opened Aug. 13 at 24984 Katy Ranch Road, Katy. The new entertainment venue features kart racing, NASCAR simulators, boutique bowling, laser tag, virtual reality machines and an arcade. Party suites, 5,000 square feet of meeting space and The Garage Bar & Restaurant are also included in the new facility. 832-304-7223 www.iraceusa.com

New wave of tenants to open in Katy Grand by early 2019

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

By R. Hans Miller - Community Impact Katy Grand continues to develop in the northeastern corner of the Grand Parkway and I-10 in Katy, said Heather Nguyen, a partner with NewQuest Properties, the developer of the site. Nguyen said she expects the first building on the site to be completed in December. The site broke ground in June on its first retail building, she said. A Cinemark theater and Whiskey Cake restaurant are already in operation as the anchor for the shopping center. Construction on the first of the separate retail buildings began earlier this year, Nguyen said. “You know, we actually starte...

Asian population growth spurs suburban Chinatown in Katy

Monday, September 24, 2018

By: Paul Takahasi - Houston Chronicle Restaurants in this sprawling new strip mall serve a smorgasbord of Pan-Asian cuisine, including Malaysian fried rice, Vietnamese noodle soup, Taiwanese boba tea and Japanese cream puffs. One might think this Asian-themed plaza sits in the heart of Chinatown, for decades the cultural center of Houston’s fast-growing Asian community. However, this grocery-anchored shopping center is rising from the flat prairieland of Katy, some 20 miles west of Bellaire. “We’re trying to bring a taste of Asia to the mainstream,” said Josie Lin, the center’s leasing representative. “I believe this is going to become another landmark, just lik...

Big Business: Corporations build headquarters in Katy

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

By: Lindsay Peyton - Houston Chronicle Big business is making it big in Katy. There are now more than 200 major corporate headquarters in the greater Katy area, including Academy Sports and Outdoors, Shell Exploration and Production, WoodGroup Subsidies, BP North America, Igloo, ConocoPhillips, Expro Americas, Schlumberger, Gulf Island Fabrication, Aecom, Salata and DNV-GL. Lance LaCour, president and CEO of the Katy Area Economic Development Council, said there are a number of reasons why the area has become a prime location for businesses to set up shop. Companies come to Katy for the school districts, the accessibility to Houston and the quality of lif...

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HOUSTON STUDENTS SHINE AGAIN IN IB DIPLOMA RESULTS

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Release provided by British International School The British International School of Houston students have achieved strong results in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for the 2017/18 academic school year. The British International School of Houston’s average score this year is 5.2 base points higher than the IB global average, widening the gap between ourselves and other IB schools around the world. One student from The British International School of Houston received full marks — the maximum score of 45 points. This is an incredible achievement for this student is only 1% of students worldwide who received full marks this year on the IBDP. -Three students achieved impressive scores of 44 points. -BISH students'...

Ribbon-Cutting Held for Completion of Spring Green Roundabout

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Release by Fort Bend County On September 7, 2018, Fort Bend County officials gathered in Precinct 3 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the Spring Green Boulevard Roundabout, the first two-lane roundabout constructed by Fort Bend County. The new roundabout, located at the intersection of Spring Green Boulevard and Katy Flewellen Road, connects Spring Green Boulevard, Katy Flewellen Road and Cinco Trace Drive. Part of the project also included realigning Crossover Road to intersect north of the roundabout. The total project cost is $4.4 million funded by bonds from the 2013 Mobility Program as well as contributions from Newlan...

Texas Children’s Urgent Care opens new Katy location

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

By: Houston Chronicle Texas Children’s Urgent Care West Campus clinic is now open, offering pediatric care in a convenient community location. Located at 18200 Katy Freeway, Suite WD-200 Houston, TX 77094, this clinic is next to the Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus Emergency Center, to provide an alternate care site for families in the West Houston area in need of lower-acuity care. The 4,250 square-foot clinic has 11 exam rooms, X-ray on-site and a spacious waiting area adorned with vibrant murals, providing a relaxing, child-friendly atmosphere. Texas Children’s Urgent Care West Campus is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m...

Four new retailers announced for Katy area’s Grand Morton Town Center

Wednesday, September 05, 2018

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact NewQuest Properties released a statement Monday that the company will be breaking ground on what Rebecca Le, vice president at NewQuest, said is the last portion of Phase 1 for Grand Morton Town Center. The new building will be built just north of the Kroger store that is already in operation in the shopping center. Four tenants for the building were announced in the press release announcing the construction of the 66,000-square-foot building. HomeGoods, Michaels, Petco and Hallmark have all signed leases for space in the new building. “These retailers will bring a tremendous amount o...

Katy Area EDC set to relocate to new office

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

The Katy Area Economic Development Council will be relocating to a new office effective Monday, September 10. The organization will move to an office in the Grandway West Business Park located at Grand Parkway and Franz Road. Currently, Katy Area EDC leases space from Katy ISD in the former Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union at 438 FM 1463 in Katy. In 2017, Katy Area EDC signed a one-year lease with Katy ISD following its purchase of the former credit union building. The building currently houses human resources operations for Katy ISD in the majority of the facility. Following a search conducted b...

TEDC Presents Economic Excellence Recognition at 2018 Mid-Year Conference

Thursday, August 09, 2018

Release by 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) has announced the recipients of its annual Economic Excellence Recognition program for 2017. The awards was presented at a special awards breakfast held Thursday, June 14, 2018, at the TEDC’s Mid-Year Conference in Galveston, Texas. The two and one half day conference was held June 13-15, 2018 at the Moody Gardens Hotel. 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 governin...

TEDC Presents Workforce Excellence Awards at 2018 Mid-Year Conference

Thursday, August 09, 2018

Release by 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) has announced the recipients of its annual Workforce Excellence Awards for 2018. The awards will be presented at a special awards breakfast held Thursday, June 14, 2018, at the TEDC’s Mid-Year Conference in Galveston, Texas. The two and one half-day conference was held June 13-15, 2018 at the Moody Gardens Hotel. The Workforce Excellence Award program recognizes exceptional contributions by a Texas community or region that has implemented successful workforce initiatives. The TEDC’s Workforce Development Committee committee reviewed applications from nineteen ...

The best public elementary schools in the Houston area for 2018

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

By: Fernando Ramirez - Houston Chronicle The quality of schools in an area can be a make or break issue for parents deciding where to move in the Houston area. With hundreds of public elementary schools around Bayou City, the decision can be overwhelming. Niche, an educational data analysis site, recently ranked the best public elementary schools throughout the city and the suburbs. Using comprehensive data from the Department of Education, as well as teacher and student surveys, researchers produced a list of the top schools in the Houston-area for 2018. If any school district swept the list, it would be Katy ISD. Of th...

2018 Best School Districts in the Houston Area by Niche

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Rankings by Niche.com 1. Katy Independent School District A+ Overall Niche Grade 67 Total Schools 70,330 Students 2. Pearland Independent School District A+ Overall Niche Grade 25 Total Schools 20,550 Students 3. Friendswood Independent School District A+ Overall Niche Grade 7 Total Schools 6,106 Students 4. Tomball Independent School District A+ Overall Niche Grade 20 Total Schools 13,238 Students 5. Clear Creek Independent School District A+ Overall Niche Grade 47 Total Schools 40,812 Students 6. Humble Independent School District A+ Overall Niche Grade 45 Total Schools 39,522 Students 7. Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District A Overall Niche Grade 86 Total Schools 113,023 Students 8. Conroe Independent School District A Overall Niche Grade 58 Total Schools 56,363 Students 9. Deer Park Independent School District A Overall Niche Grade 16 Total Schools 13,140 Students 10. Barbers Hill Independent School District ...

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

Monday, August 19, 2019

Katy Area Company, AFS, Provides World-Class Solutions for the Energy Industry

Sunday, May 05, 2019

As one of nearly 80 R&D facilities and testing labs in the Katy Area, Assured Flow Solutions LLC (AFS), has leveraged local talent to grow their global footprint. The company is known for engineering and laboratory testing services, so opening a lab in Katy has allowed the company to grow exponentially. Energy companies throughout the world turn to AFS for flow assurance support and industry expertise, in addition to reading their many whitepapers and attending their annual technical conference. Though AFS is a global thought leader and innovator in the oil and gas industry, their story began in Katy, Texas. Tomm...

Tompkins Junior Earns Perfect Score on ACT

Tuesday, April 02, 2019

By: Katy Magazine Nicholas Khami, a Junior at Tompkins High School, earned a perfect score on the ACT. Only around two-tenths of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. Khami plays on the Katy Cavaliers lacrosse team, and participates in other extracurricular activities. An Extremely Rare Accomplishment In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2018, only 3,741 out of nearly two million graduates earned a top composite ACT score of 36. “Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare," says ACT CEO Marten Roorda, in a letter to Khami. "Your exceptional scores will provide any college or university with ample evidence of you...

U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce: 8th Annual Ambassador Speaker Series

Monday, April 01, 2019

FM 1093 widening, First Street improvements: 4 Katy-area transportation updates to know this December

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

By: Jen Para - Community Impact FM 1093 widening Work to widen FM 1093 from a two-lane road to a four-lane road with a median continues. For phase 2A, Fort Bend County is paving the westbound lanes from FM 1463 to the main entrance to Cross Creek Ranch, Fort Bend County engineer Richard Stolleis said. For phase 2B, the Texas Department of Transportation began prep work Dec. 10 and construction in early January on the lanes from Cross Creek Ranch to James Lane, TxDOT construction inspector Kurt Lehmann said. Timeline: March 2017-March 2019 December 2018-mid-2020 Cost: $62.6 million Funding sources: TxDOT, Fort Bend County, Fort Ben...

Late spring opening set for sports park

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle The Memorial Hermann Sports Park-Katy will offer a primary care clinic, a training center and an outdoor turf field when it’s expected to open late next spring. The 50,000-square-foot facility that costs about $15 million is the product of a collaboration between Memorial Hermann and Athlete Training and Health. “This collaboration between Memorial Hermann and ATH will benefit the full range of athletes in the Katy community, from high school students to professional competitors, weekend warriors and beyond,” said Maddie Rich, Memorial Hermann Katy senior marketing & communications representative. The sports medicine and human performance facility will b...

Late spring opening set for sports park

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

American Omni Trading Company relocates HQ to Katy

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

By: Community Impact American Omni Trading Company relocated its headquarters from a 10,00-square-foot office space at 15354 Park Row in Houston to a 32,000-square-foot space at 1221 West Park Green Drive. The new offices opened Sept. 24. AOT imports tires from Asian manufacturers and delivers them across North and South America. 281-600-8473. www.american-omni.com

British International School of Houston Open House

Friday, November 16, 2018

You want the best for your child. So do we. Please join us for an Open House to explore our state-of-the-art campus and experience what makes our school special. We are an international school for ages 2 to 18, part of the Nord Anglia Education - the world’s leading premium schools organisation. Learn about our exciting programmes, explore and tour our campus, meet our Principal and members of our admissions team. Date: Wednesday 28th November Time: 6pm Location: British International School of Houston, 2203 N Westgreen Blvd, Katy, Texas 77449 RSVP via: Online https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WML8NK5 Call: 713 290 9025 Email: admissions@houston.nae.school Website https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/our-schools/houston/british-international/event www.bishouston.org

Pot hole repairs, Cane Island Parkway extension: 4 Katy-area transportation updates to know this November

Thursday, November 15, 2018

By: Jen Para - Community Impact Repairs to five roads Work has begun to repair portions of five roads that are showing cracks and pot holes. The contractor is completing mobilization to the area, said Eric Heppen, a project manager for Harris County Precinct 3. Elrod Road will be repaired from Clay Road to Morton Ranch Road, and then from Morton Ranch Road to Franz Road. Katy Hockley Cut Off Road will be repaired from FM 529 to a half mile south of Beckendorf Road. Katy Gap Road will be repaired from Kingsland Boulevard to the limits of the asphalt near th...

First Street upgrade begins in Katy

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

West Katy residents met Nov. 8 at Katy City Hall to learn more about a multi-million project to upgrade First Street that includes flood mitigation. Several of the approximately 30 residents at the meeting asked what would happen after the project is completed if another Harvey visits the area. David Leyendecker, the city engineer, said the project capacity is designed for a 100-year storm. After Harvey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration set newer standards for rainfall amounts within a 24-hour period to define a 100-year event. The NOAA chart shows 16 inches within a 24-hour period. In 2017 — when Hurrican...

Katy Pitmaster’s Wish: Eat Brisket and Go Fishing

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

CHEF RANDY DUNCAN WON BOTH the judge’s top award and the people’s choice award at the 2018 Houston BBQ Throwdown, and last month, his family-owned food truck Daddy Duncan’s BBQ announced it would open its first brick-and-mortar location in spring 2019 at Katy Hockley Cut-Off and Clay Road, right behind the Four Seasons Park. It’s been a good last few weeks for him. Duncan told Houstonia he was in a bidding war for the two-acre land because the area is extremely popular. Strip centers and new home construction (with prices ranging from $350,000 to $500,000) are being proposed. “It’s unrestricted land—we can d...

Katy Area EDC holds Visions of Katy: Leadership at The Club at Falcon Point

Thursday, November 01, 2018

Katy Area EDC holds Visions of Katy: Leadership at The Club at Falcon Point

Thursday, November 01, 2018

The Katy Area Economic Development Council held Visions of Katy: Leadership on Wednesday, October 24 at The Club at Falcon Point. The event brought together roughly 50 Katy area community members to discuss leadership and strengthening partnerships within the Katy area. For the past several years, Katy Area EDC, led by the Katy Area EDC Leadership Task Force chaired by Stan Goss, has been hosting Visions events which bring together a diverse group of Katy area community members to discuss topics relevant to quality of life in the area. The events serve as a tool to help identify solutions to mak...

Leasing Begins at New Newmark Homes Complex

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

For information contact: Melissa Guerra @ 281.433.3984 mguerra@newmarkhomes.com Leasing has started for a new 24,000-square-foot office building located in Parkside Capital’s University Center along Interstate 10 just east of the Grand Parkway in Katy. Owned by Newmark Homes, the building will be the builder’s new corporate headquarters. It will also house the Newmark Design Studio. “We chose this location because of its proximity to many of our communities,” said Mike Moody, president of Newmark Homes. “With our company growing, it was time for a move.” More than 30 Newmark employees will office out of the building’s second floor, and the design studio will encompass approximately 4,50...

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Katy Area District Council Event: Why are my water rates going up?

Monday, October 29, 2018

Join us for a FREE event featuring a panel discussion with representatives from the 3 Regional Water Authorities about water supply, distribution, costs, and other water-related topics impacting Municipal Utility Districts and their constituents.

Texas Bullet Train presentation headlines October Katy Area EDC GA

Friday, October 26, 2018

The Katy Area Economic Development Council held its October General Assembly on Tuesday, October 16 at iRace Entertainment. Members and guests gathered for the event which featured a presentation regarding the planned Texas Bullet Train project. Michael Moore, Regional Vice President of Texas Central Railway, served as the meeting’s keynote presenter providing information on the planned Texas Bullet Train. According to Texas Central, a private company leading the project, the approximately 240-mile high-speed rail line will offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes, with convenient departures every 30 minutes during peak periods each day, and every hour durin...

Energy Corridor District Commuter Bus Survey

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Survey created by Energy Corridor District The Energy Corridor District is in the process of developing a new commuter bus service to provide round-trip transportation between a suburban location and Energy Corridor workplaces. If you currently work in the Energy Corridor, we need your input to determine where this service is most needed and what factors would encourage or discourage you to use any new service. Please CLICK HERE or copy and paste the link below into your browser to complete a brief survey. It should take less than 2 minutes to complete. http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07efqtc2nbjmtlufh1/start Thank you! Energy Corridor District

Fort Bend County awarded 2018 Workplace Heath Assessment Wellness Champion Award

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Release by Fort Bend County On October 23, 2018, Fort Bend County was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Workplace Health Assessment Wellness Champion Award for providing excellent wellness opportunities for its employees. Fort Bend County received second place in the greater Houston area for providing wellness services such as nicotine cessation programs, exercise programs, wellness classes, and multiple health screenings. Also included in these benefits is an employee health clinic providing basic medical care to all that work at the County. Fort Bend County Risk Management has been a partner of the American Cancer Society for many years by serving on the ACS Wellnes...

Next generation entertainment center now open in Katy

Monday, October 22, 2018

Katy is now home to a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience at iRACE, a 60,000-square-foot facility. According to iRACE officials, the new facility features the only two-level indoor race track in Texas along with high tech virtual reality games, NASCAR simulators, iBLAST, bowling, arcades and Mike’s Garage restaurant. iRACE is located at the Katy Ranch Shopping Center behind Northern Tools. It has more than 37,000 square feet of racing surface, a ¼-mile track with two race levels, a tunnel and the fastest indoor electric go karts in Texas. Director of Operations, Michael Barron says iRACE takes entertainment to a new level. “We visited entertainment centers al...

Greenbusch Road improvements, Porter Road reconstruction: 4 Katy-area transportation updates to know this October

Thursday, October 18, 2018

By: R. Hans Miller - Community Impact Greenbusch Road improvements Greenbusch Road from Gaston Road to Westheimer Parkway will be converted from a two-lane asphalt road with ditches into a two-lane concrete road with an underground storm sewer, said Stacy Slawinski, Fort Bend County assistant engineer. The project will begin in fall 2019 and last about a year. The road will still be widened and made safer with the deep ditches currently in place replaced with underground drainage. Timeline: Fall 2019-fall 2020 Cost: $7.4 million Funding sources: Fort Bend County Katy Flewellen expansion Katy Flewellen Road will be expanded from Spring Green Boulevard to Gaston Road. Th...

Katy ISD Education Foundation: Fireflies and Foodtrucks

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Event organized by Katy ISD Education Foundation Join us for our legendary kick-off-the-school-year fundraiser for the year's Inspiring Imagination teacher grants! Thursday, October 18, 2018 No Label Brewery 5:30 - 8:30 pm? Individual Tickets: $50 Includes unlimited access to No Label brews and all food trucks Party Pak: $500 for a party of 8 All of the above plus swag and Fireflies & Foodtrucks shirt for each guest VIP Bar Experience: $25 Enjoy select brews set aside by No Label Brewery just for this crowd (Adults Only Event) NEW THIS YEAR: Our first ever wine garden (additional cost to purchase wine) Register Here

Katy ISD Education Foundation: Fireflies and Foodtrucks

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Join us for our legendary kick-off-the-school-year fundraiser for the year's Inspiring Imagination teacher grants! Thursday, October 18, 2018 No Label Brewery 5:30 - 8:30 pm? Individual Tickets: $50 Includes unlimited access to No Label brews and all food trucks Party Pak: $500 for a party of 8 All of the above plus swag and Fireflies & Foodtrucks shirt for each guest VIP Bar Experience: $25 Enjoy select brews set aside by No Label Brewery just for this crowd (Adults Only Event) NEW THIS YEAR: Our first ever wine garden (additional cost to purchase wine) Register Here

Katy Cares and Memorial Hermann Katy headline September Katy Area EDC GA

Monday, September 24, 2018

The Katy Area Economic Development Council held its September General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, September 18 at Memorial Hermann Katy. Katy area non-profit Katy Cares and the host, MH Katy, served as presenters for the meeting. Longtime Katy Area EDC employee Frank Lombard was also recognized for his service following his recent retirement. Representing Katy Cares, Harry Chapman, President of the Board, and Denise Mayfield, President and CEO, shared information about the non-profit organization which provides specialized therapeutic-housing services to mothers and their children affected by situational homelessness. According to Chapman and Mayfield, homelessness is a problem facing hundreds of Kat...

Spring Green roundabout open, Crossover Road widening: 6 transportation projects to know in the Katy area this September

Friday, September 21, 2018

By: Rebecca Hennes and R. Hans Miller - Community Impact Spring Green Boulevard roundabout now open The roundabout, which opened Sept. 7, connects Spring Green Boulevard to Cinco Trace Drive and Katy Flewellen Road. According to Fort Bend County Engineer Stacy Slawinski, a single lane of the roundabout and the Spring Green north connector opened July 9. The roundabout project had an original completion date of July 2018, but Slawinski said that was delayed by changes in the contract and utility delays. Three lanes connect each road to the roundabout: The two left lanes enter the traffic circle while the far righ...

Katy Area EDC forecast: More growth

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle It’s mid-September and Katy Area Economic Development Area Council is adjusting to its new home in the Grandway West Business Park. Lance LaCour, who’s led the nonprofit the last 13 years as its CEO/president, said the Class A office with just over 2,000 square feet is more effective in terms of space and operations. The arrangement also offers more stability - a longer term lease compared to the year-to-year lease it had from the Katy Independent School District to occupy the former Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union near Interstate 10 and FM 1463. It also opens u...

Katy focuses on Riceland Terrace drainage

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

By: Karen Zurawski - Houston Chronicle As construction begins in one neighborhood to improve drainage, Katy City Council hired engineers to begin design services for work in another subdivision. Katy City Council on Sept. 10 authorized the mayor to sign an agreement with Costello Engineering & Surveying for engineering design services for the initial phase of drainage and paving reconstruction improvements for Riceland Terrace subdivision excluding Fortuna Drive. Costello Engineering & Surveying was hired by the city last year to do design work for Pine Forest subdivision after it completed a flood protection study for the city in October 2017 following the 201...

Top Katy area stories from the past month

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Katy Area Top Stories Katy area company FireDisc Cookers ranks #374 on the 2018 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company list Houston Methodist West hosts August GA, Katy ISD Education Foundation featured New August Katy Area EDC members Here are the latest updates on 4 Katy-area transportation projects Voters Say YES to $2.5 Billion Flood Control Bond Katy Area EDC President/CEO Lance LaCour awarded re-certification in economic development designation Katy Area EDC set to relocate to new office Register for Katy area TradeLink Conference Groundbreaking of Crossover Road Meet the Katy Area EDC summer 2018 interns New class A medical facility to break ground at Katy Green by early 2019 TEDC Presents Economi...

Katy named to Top 10 Affordable Towns with Best High Schools list by Realtor.com

Friday, July 27, 2018

When searching for a new home, finding something affordable in a good school district with family-friendly features, such as large backyards, tops the list of home buyer priorities. Realtor.com’s Top Affordable Towns with the Best High Schools Rank Town District Name School GreatSchools Rating (out of 10) Median Household Income Median Listing Price 1 Royersford (19458) Spring-Ford Area School District Spring-Ford Shs 10-12 Gr Center 10 $83,264 $246,125 2 Rosemount (55068) Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District Rosemount Senior High School 10 $93,743 $299,900 3 Plainfield, Ill. (60585) Plainfield School District 202 Plainfield North High School 8 $130,168 $398,725 4 Katy, Texas (77494) Harmony School Of Science – Houston, Katy Independent School District Harmony Science Academy – West Houston 9 $145,507 $384,997 Cinco Ranch High School 8 Seven Lakes High School 9 6 Woodstock, Ga. (30189) Cherokee County School District Etowah High School, Woodstock High School 9 $83,989 $304,450 7 Medway, Ma...

CEOs Rank 2017 Best & Worst States for Business

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

By: Dale Buss - Chief Executive Magazine While there is a level of constancy when it comes to the very best and very worst states for business as ranked by CEOs, there is plenty of jockeying for position within the ranks, and even some leaping and plummeting. Because of how CEOs view business climates, because states themselves have varying priorities and because of the slow pace of change in many state governments, the same states have held top five spots for six years running. Texas was ranked No. 1 for the 13th straight year in 2017 by the hundreds of CEOs surveyed by Chief Executive. Florida was No. 2 for the fifth year in ...

CEOs Rank 2017 Best & Worst States for Business

Monday, May 15, 2017

The 50 Best Cities for New College Grads

Monday, May 15, 2017

By: Yahoo Finance - Taylor Tepper There are certain things that as a new college graduate you have little control over, such as when you’re forced to join the real world. If you happened to graduate in 2008 as I did — when the economy was hemorrhaging jobs while the stock and housing markets were collapsing — you were somewhat out of luck. Still, there were things you could have done to improve your financial odds even in the Great Recession, such as picking a city with the best odds of finding a good-paying job and an affordable place to live. Which beg...

2017 Best Suburbs to Live in Texas

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

1. Rollingwood (Suburb of Austin, TX) 2. Cinco Ranch (Suburb of Houston, TX) Niche User:It is a very safe and friendly place to live. I do not worry too much for myself and my personal belongings. The people surrounding are incredible. My neighbors are kind, quiet, and helpful. I would not mind living here again. It has amazing schooling opportunities and is a wonderful place to raise a family. Overall, this area ranks highly compared to other places. I see growth in this area with people and businesses. 3. Greatwood (Suburb of Houston, TX) Current Resident:I love how there are still areas of tree...

Rapid population growth continues in Katy Area

Friday, January 01, 2016

Move over Pittsburgh, the Katy Area now boasts a larger population. According to recent data complied by data analytics company Alteryx, the population of the Katy Area, as defined by Katy ISD boundaries, has surpassed the Steel City by over 1,000. Population estimates put the Katy Area at 309,556 and the City of Pittsburgh at 308,237. Over the past decade, the Katy Area has been no stranger to growth with an annual population growth rate between 4 and 6%. In the year 2000, the Katy Area had a population of 139,998 making the recent 2015 population estimate nearly 200,000 larger ove...

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