The development team of Katy Boardwalk District has set plans for a new lakefront destination in Katy, Texas, that will have the area's first full-service conference center hotel, entertainment concepts, loft residences and a 90-acre nature preserve.
The announcement follows Katy Development Authority's recommendation to enter into a master development agreement with developer KBH Venture to bring a four-star conference center hotel to the 169-acre setting at Kingsland Boulevard and Katy Fort Bend Road just south of I-10. The master development agreement calls for a full-service conference center hotel with a minimum of 300 rooms, a specialty restaurant, bar, pool and fitness center as recommended by Benchmark Global Hospitality, the management company that will operate the hotel. The master development agreement also calls for a conference center of at least 43,000 square feet.
The property, designed by Gensler and built by Houston-based KDW, is expected to open in fall 2021, with construction beginning this autumn. The hotel's brand is expected to be announced this year.
The residential component, Lofts at Katy Boardwalk, will have 319 residences with two resort-style pools, fitness center, resident lounge, business center, outdoor cabanas and grilling areas and onsite management. Nearly all residences in phase one will have one- or two-bedroom floorplans.
Sueba Construction plans to break ground on the first phase of the Lofts at Katy Boardwalk this month, with an expected completion by spring 2020. The residences were designed by Sueba Consulting and will be managed by Southampton Management.
Katy Boardwalk District also will have approximately 155,000 square feet of retail space, with an emphasis on restaurant, bar and entertainment concepts, along with 60,000 square feet of Class A office space, all designed by Gensler. Construction on the retail phase is expected to begin later this year, with leasing for the project's retail and entertainment phases currently underway and represented by Lacee Jacobs of CBRE. Katy Boardwalk District's retail and office will surround more than an acre of public green space designed for outdoor activities and events.
Katy Boardwalk District's lake and nature preserve features two miles of walking paths, wooden boardwalks and other pedestrian-friendly pathways.