By ZEN T.C. ZHENG
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Fort Bend County officials Tuesday approved the designs and project cost estimates for the expansion of three Katy-area roads despite two county commissioners’ concerns that the prices far exceed what voters had approved.

The three roads — Greenbusch, Katy-Flewellen and Katy-Gaston — are among 47 projects in the $156 million mobility bond package voters supported in May 2007.

Of those, 27 are in unincorporated areas and coordinated by the county, and the rest in the jurisdiction of municipalities. Ron Drachenberg, assistant county engineer, said the three Katy-area roads are among 17 county-sponsored projects under contract for design.

The expansion would rebuild a 2.7-mile segment of Greenbusch from Falcon Landing to Pin Oak, a 1.5-mile stretch of Katy-Flewellen from Katy-Gaston to Pin Oak, and a 1.7-mile section of Katy-Gaston from Cinco Ranch Boulevard to FM 1093 — all currently two-lane country roads with open ditches — as four-lane boulevards with divided medians, curbs and gutters. (more…)

May 1, 2008, 9:52AM

Retail center, rehabilitation facility and hotel set to open in ‘08

By KIMBERLY PIÑA
Chronicle Correspondent

As the city of Katy continues to attract more families and tourists, new businesses are responding to the population growth, and several construction projects are under way.

A retail center, a new nursing and rehabilitation center and the city’s second hotel are expected to open this year.

Plans are also in place to construct more business and professional buildings along the perimeter of Katy Mills mall, a hotspot for commercial growth. (more…)

New 90,000-Square Foot Facility Will be Located along Energy Corridor
From the Katy Economic Development Council

(Houston, Texas – April 11, 2008) Duke Realty Corporation (Duke) announced that Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a Norwegian-based engineering company that provides risk management and asset maintenance/enhancement consulting to the energy and maritime industries, has commissioned Duke to develop a 90,000-square foot Class A office building in the Katy submarket for its Houston operations.

The two-story building will be located between Mason Road and Grand Parkway, one-half mile from I-10, or Katy Freeway. DNV’s new Katy-area facility will shorten the commute for their employees and, with the recently completed improvements to I-10, DNV will still be conveniently located to their energy-related customers in the Energy Corridor. (more…)

Medical facility to be built near Texas Children’s proposed complex

By KIMBERLY PIÑA
Houston Chronicle Correspondent

Construction is expected to begin this month on the Methodist West Houston Hospital that is being built to serve a growing Katy-area population.

“We want to be able to bring the greatest health-care services to the west Houston market,” said Wayne Voss, vice president of community operations and development for the Methodist Hospital System.

Voss presented plans for the $300 million, 192-bed hospital and medical campus at the Katy Area Economic Development Council’s general assembly meeting Tuesday.

“Katy is developing quite a reputation as a medical area,” said Woody Mann Jr., board chairman of the Katy Area EDC. “We’ll be, I think, well-equipped with some quality hospitals.”

Strong demographics, an increasing population, ideal location and wide service area are reasons hospital officials cited in deciding to build the 500,000-square-foot hospital along the north side of the Katy Freeway between Barker Cypress and Greenhouse roads.

Hospital officials plan to have a formal topping-off ceremony next spring. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2010. (more…)

Mar 27, 7:57 AM (ET)

By PAUL J. WEBER

DALLAS (AP) - Four Texas metropolitan areas were among the biggest population gainers as Americans continued their trend of moving to the Sun Belt in 2006 and 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released Thursday.

Dallas-Fort Worth added more than 162,000 residents between July 2006 and July 2007, more than any other metro area. Three other Texas areas - Houston, Austin and San Antonio - also cracked the top 10.

Atlanta saw the second-largest population jump with just over 151,000 new residents. Phoenix was third with more than 132,000, and was followed by Houston, Riverside, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Austin, Las Vegas and San Antonio. (more…)

February 2008 Sales

Sixth consecutive monthly decline is tempered by notable increases in average and median single-family home prices

HOUSTON — (March 18, 2008) — Property sales across greater Houston slid for the sixth consecutive month in February, but the decline was not as steep as January’s. While February sales of single-family homes dipped, the prices of those homes rose, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORSâ (HAR).

Total property sales for February 2008 registered 5,266, which represents a 13.1 percent drop compared to February 2007; it’s an improvement over last month’s 17.2 percent fall. Properties sold during the month totaled just over $1 billion compared to $1.1 billion in sales one year earlier, a 7.9 percent decline. The average price of a single-family home rose 5.6 percent last month from February 2007 to $206,140, representing the biggest increase since last August. The median price of a single-family home increased 3.1 percent to $151,430. (more…)

March 13, 2008, 12:50PM
Educators add buildings, upgrade programs, classes

By HELEN ERIKSEN
Chronicle Correspondent

Using Texas Education Agency data, the Katy Independent School District contrasts ethnic diversity in 2007-08 with 1997-98 in brackets.

• White : 50.8 percent, [77.5 percent]

• Hispanic : 29.7 percent, [13.3 percent]

• Black: 9.6 percent, [4.8 percent]

• Asian Pacific Islander: 9.7 percent, [4.3 percent]

For the past decade, an average of 3,000 new students has enrolled in the Katy Independent School District each year — making it one of the fastest-growing in Texas.

From 1998 to 2008, the district has transformed from a small, homogenous and predominantly white school system to one that is sprawling and increasingly cosmopolitan.

The 181-square-mile district has made advancements in sports, technology, fine arts and other areas to keep pace with demands.

The district will open four new schools in the fall to relieve crowding and to make room for new students. (more…)

Jan. 25, 2008, 10:36AM

Metro is expanding its commuter service in Katy with the addition of the 222 Grand Parkway Park & Ride.

Starting Monday, Jan. 28 service will begin from the Metro-designated parking area at the Cinemark Theatre lot, located just north of I-10 West/Katy Freeway at 1030 W. Grand Parkway North.

The 222 Grand Parkway Park & Ride will provide direct service between the Grand Parkway and downtown Houston. Buses will depart every 15 minutes between 5:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. and return every 15 minutes between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The bus fare is $3.50 each way. Customers can also get Metro’s new Q Card, which allows them to pay the bus fare by touching the card over a scan machine at the bus stop. Customers also get free transfers and five free trips with every 50 paid trips.

Metro customers can park for free when using their Q Card. Non-Metro riders are required to pay $3.50 for parking.

During opening week, Metro’s Explorer Bus will be at the new Katy Park & Ride to help patrons get their Q Cards.

For a schedule or more information, call 713-635-4000 or visit www.ridemetro.org.

Mixed-use venue in Brookshire will welcome Santa, snow on Saturday

By KAREN HASTINGS
Chronicle Correspondent

Standing in a certain muddy field west of Brookshire, you can almost believe it’s 1959 and you’ve just parked the family sedan for tonight’s trip to the movies.

Pajama-clad children are nestled in the back seat, and Dad will soon return from a brief hike to the concession stand with plenty of popcorn and soda. Something wholesome is on the marquee, and if the youngsters get tired of that, there’s always putt-putt and the playground.

Can’t imagine it? Don’t worry: Tom Hutcheson already has.

He’s the creative force behind Stars At Night Drive-In Theater, under construction just off I-10, eight minutes west of Katy. His plan is to bring back a 1950s icon and give modern families a nostalgic alternative to the sterile and high-priced multiplex.

“For people who are my age, their children have never been to a drive-in and now they have grandchildren,” he says. (more…)

Dec. 3, 2007, 11:23AM

Fourteen schools in the Katy Independent School District were among an elite group of public schools across the state to be named to Texas Monthly’s “Best Public Schools” list.

A total of 859 elementary, junior high and high schools were published on the list in the magazine’s December 2007 issue.

The magazine in partnership with the National Center for Educational Accountability composed the list of high-performing schools on the basis of Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test results for the past three years. The top 5 percent of schools are automatically included, and the additional schools are added because they performed better than statistically predicted.

Elementary schools (more…)