At a Katy Area Economic Development Council meeting Oct. 22, the developers discussed their respective projects they’re planning in the Katy area and why Katy could end up being a “population center.”
“The [Houston area’s] population center is going further and further. Eventually it'll sit [in Katy],” said State Rep. Mike Schofield, who moderated the event.
The details
The developers said several single-family communities planned for Waller County include:
- La Segarra, a 215-acre community by Bold Fox Development that will total roughly 700 lots
- The Grange, a 1,130-acre community by Johnson Development that will total 2,400 lots
- Azalea, a 270-acre community by Maple Development that will total 850 lots
Waller County is an attractive place for developers because of the area's growth, said Jacob Rice, vice president of Johnson Development, who is building The Grange.
“[Johnson Development] really focused on Waller County because we saw the growth here,” Rice said. “One of the key factors is obviously Katy ISD. It's a very sought-after community school district to be in for young families.”
Russ Walker, head of development at Maple Development, said his company is focused on Waller County due to the land’s affordability, which he said can translate to affordable homes for people to live.
“We're trying to find a place [where] people can raise their family at a decent, affordable rate,” Walker said. “We needed a place for people to come and be able to afford to live.”
Also of note
Both La Segarra and Azalea are located near Pattison, their developers said, while The Grange is in Katy. All three are in Waller County, a county Schofield said will triple its 66,000 population within 20 years.
With the Texas Department of Transportation’s impending I-10 expansion, Schofield said people are going to feel like they can move further out to places like Pattison and still be able to commute for work, leading to more future growth.
“I-10 is a gigantic spur [of growth for] the city of Katy,” said Alex Kamkar, managing shareholder at Bold Fox Development. “There is so much positive industry that comes off of [I-10 being widened]. ... There's so many ... jobs that come off of that.”
What’s next
Azalea and La Segarra will deliver their first lots in the first quarter of 2025, developers said. Meanwhile, The Grange will complete its first phase and begin home sales in early 2025, Community Impact reported.
Schofield said the Katy area is going to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
“We're also trying to make sure that there's affordable housing so people can live here, that there are jobs so people can work here, and that is going to continue on,” Schofield said.
