What we reported

The city broke ground in February on the Katy Boardwalk District, a mixed-use project with a boardwalk, nature trails, apartments, retail locations and restaurants. The project is located on the south and east sides of Katy Mills and will also include a manmade lake with an island.

The project is expected to bring $500 million in equity to the city, officials said in early 2017.

The latest

The site’s pond is completely dredged, and the sidewalks and walking trail, parking lots and restaurants should be completed this spring, along with the first street on the west side of the development, City Manager Byron Hebert said.

The electrical and water infrastructure are also under construction, Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner said. He added that Harvey did cause a delay, and the city is reviewing the drainage plans for the site.

“We’ve got to deal with [the poor weather] until this summer when it gets dry, then we can really move forward,” he said.

What’s next

Construction will continue over the next few months. The selection of a hotel chain for the convention center is still pending, but should be settled soon, Brawner said in early January.

“We’ve received good input from several of the major high-end hotel chains,” he said.

This story is one update from The January Issue. View the full list of Top 9 stories to follow in 2018 here.