Following the completion of Segment G of the Grand Parkway this spring, plans for more commercial and retail developments in nearby subdivisions, such as The Falls at Imperial Oaks, are beginning to emerge.

“The Grand Parkway opened up a new avenue,” said Jim Holcomb, president of Holcomb Properties President, the project’s developer. “Up until this time, there hadn’t been an easy way for the people that live in Kingwood or over on [Hwy.] 59 to get here. Now, they can get over here in 15 minutes.”

A new recreation center is under construction off Lake Falls Drive and Tremont Ridge Lane in The Falls at Imperial Oaks and is slated to be complete by February or March, Holcomb said.

Additionally, Holcomb is planning to build a shopping center and possibly a multifamily development in The Falls area on the Grand Parkway frontage road. However, Imperial Promenade Drive has to be extended before any construction on the shopping center begins.

“It will cost us a lot of money, but we’re building that road because it opens up another avenue of transportation,” Holcomb said.

The plan is to have the road extension complete by summer 2017 so construction on the retail developments can begin in 2018 or 2019, depending on the economy, Holcomb said.

“We’re simply waiting on the county now,” he said. “We’re trying to agree with them on widths of the road, rights of way, paving sections and things like that.”

Next to the land reserved for the shopping center is a retention lake, and Holcomb plans to build restaurants on that side of the development so patrons can have a more scenic view. 

A new YMCA location—named after Holcomb—will be situated on another portion of undeveloped property in The Falls that backs up to the lake. Construction on the project is expected to begin in early 2018 and will cost approximately $13 million to build, according to YMCA officials.

“The population of southeast Montgomery County in particular is burgeoning, and we want to meet the needs of new individuals and families coming into the area,” said Paul McEntire, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Houston. “We are committed to improving quality of life by offering programs that foster academic achievement and focus on drowning prevention and healthy living.”

The YMCA in The Falls community is on track to be finished in spring 2019, said Heather Saucier, director of media relations for the YMCA of Greater Houston.

“A YMCA is vital to this growing area. It will provide thousands of young people and families a safe and nurturing place to play, learn and grow,” Holcomb said. “By giving families access to programs that promote youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the YMCA will make this community even stronger.”

According to Holcomb, there are less than 100 acres left for commercial amenities on the Grand Parkway frontage road in The Falls area. The subdivision’s residential areas could be close to build-out by 2020, he said.

“The things interesting to the homebuyers are [related to] lifestyle,” Holcomb said. “One of the most important things that we have to offer is that everything is [in The Falls]. People can move there, and they’re part of a community, and they have a lifestyle they’re getting.”