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I know this post is about comparing Katy to Sugar Land BUT I see a cooridor from Katy to Sugar Land. I guess the West Grand Parkway economic Sub region? All along the Grand Parkway? From North katy to Sugar Land and beyond. It has almost 700,000 people in it and it is one of the most diverse places on earth. It is also one of the fastest growing places in the US. Maybe comparable to the North Dallas suburbs. And it will only get bigger over time. You will likely start to see bigger and bigger projects coming along and I really hope that someone sees the potential for something like ANOTHER LEGACY WEST TYPE OF PROJECT to be developed in this cooridor somewhere along the Grand Parkway. We need to attract more large companies not just retail and fast food. We certainly have the human capital to support large companies coming to the area.
You can't go wrong in this area. We really need more people to get excited and see that this cooridor has HUGE potential if we get the right people on board and get the right leadership. I really think it has more potential than The Woodlands-Conroe or the Bay Area-Pearland. Neither place is attracting more talent than this cooridor. One of the biggest drawbacks is that most of it is unincorporated except for Sugar Land, Katy and Richmond. All of which are only in a small incorporated area. This is causing a lack of cohesinveness and unity. This is causing the area to be just a sprawling suburb when it could be much more.
I will admit that I am disappointed with the fact that the prime locations along this region like I-10 @ Grand Parkway and 59@ Grand Parkway also Westparp@Grand Parkway. All of these prime real estate locations were used for food, retail and apartments. They should have been zoned for Upscale , Master planned Office Parks. This is sad and there should have been better planning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Houston parent
Katy has a large number of apartment complexes being built that threaten to turn it into tomorrow’s Shapstown.
I know this post is about comparing Katy to Sugar Land BUT I see a cooridor from Katy to Sugar Land. I guess the West Grand Parkway economic Sub region? All along the Grand Parkway? From North katy to Sugar Land and beyond. It has almost 700,000 people in it and it is one of the most diverse places on earth. It is also one of the fastest growing places in the US. Maybe comparable to the North Dallas suburbs. And it will only get bigger over time. You will likely start to see bigger and bigger projects coming along and I really hope that someone sees the potential for something like ANOTHER LEGACY WEST TYPE OF PROJECT to be developed in this cooridor somewhere along the Grand Parkway. We need to attract more large companies not just retail and fast food. We certainly have the human capital to support large companies coming to the area.
You can't go wrong in this area. We really need more people to get excited and see that this cooridor has HUGE potential if we get the right people on board and get the right leadership. I really think it has more potential than The Woodlands-Conroe or the Bay Area-Pearland. Neither place is attracting more talent than this cooridor. One of the biggest drawbacks is that most of it is unincorporated except for Sugar Land, Katy and Richmond. All of which are only in a small incorporated area. This is causing a lack of cohesinveness and unity. This is causing the area to be just a sprawling suburb when it could be much more.
The Grand Parkway corridor in northern Fort Bend County will undoubtedly attract employment, because it connects such huge concentrations of college-educated households.
The Grand Parkway corridor in northern Fort Bend County will undoubtedly attract employment, because it connects such huge concentrations of college-educated households.
While Stafford may not count to some, I'd consider it part of this sub-region if you will and there is a great Legacy-West type development being built at the old TI campus off of 59 called The Grid. Once complete, it should attract companies to place offices there closer to their employees. There is also so much undeveloped land still off the Grand Parkway that they will undoubtedly be more office space and other mixed-use developments built around there. It's taken longer than it should but it is coming.
I have lived in SL for a while and it has the feel of it's own town. You get the best of both worlds here as you can easily get to the nice parts of Houston or can just stay local, SL has everything you need. Overall, it is an excellent place to live although I would say it is getting more expensive.
Yes the grid is nice. Legacy West was expedited because of the Toyota Headquarters. Then Chase and and others moved in. We could sure use something like that that would attract relocations from California and other places. We don't need just another cluster of light industrial, restaurants, retail and apartments. We need more places instead like The ION and the Founders District. Plano-Frisco struck it rich with Legacy West or Las Colinas.
Can the Grid be at least as effective as Memorial City? I don't think there is enough land available around there. Plus the area around it is a little gritty. I guess The Woodlands is the closest thing we have to Legacy West.
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Originally Posted by atmcclel
While Stafford may not count to some, I'd consider it part of this sub-region if you will and there is a great Legacy-West type development being built at the old TI campus off of 59 called The Grid. Once complete, it should attract companies to place offices there closer to their employees. There is also so much undeveloped land still off the Grand Parkway that they will undoubtedly be more office space and other mixed-use developments built around there. It's taken longer than it should but it is coming.
Yes the grid is nice. Legacy West was expedited because of the Toyota Headquarters. Then Chase and and others moved in. We could sure use something like that that would attract relocations from California and other places. We don't need just another cluster of light industrial, restaurants, retail and apartments. We need more places instead like The ION and the Founders District. Plano-Frisco struck it rich with Legacy West or Las Colinas.
Can the Grid be at least as effective as Memorial City? I don't think there is enough land available around there. Plus the area around it is a little gritty. I guess The Woodlands is the closest thing we have to Legacy West.
I hear you but that, in my mind, isn't a direct comparison. Legacy West has about 415,000 sq ft of office and retail space and I believe the Grid as about 500,000 sq ft of similar space. Memorial City is basically a whole commercial district, not a mixed-use development like the other two. Something like MC would need to be along the Grand Parkway for sure and I'm sure developers and the county, hopefully, are looking into that. Time will tell but I'm bullish on the area as a whole.
I've been a longtime resident of Sugar Land & cannot help but notice the decline in its retail/restaurants (I'm aware that brick & mortar are closing due to the rampant influx of online shopping)
I love living in Sugar Land but I was in Town Square last night & it lacks a certain something that Katy's LaCenterra has. I don't know if it's the age demographics (older people in Sugar Land vs. younger families in Katy)
FC Mall has never been the same since the additions of the lifestyle center and the darkening of the food court with the new Dick's store. Some of the nicer stores moved to the lifestyle center and the mall spaces were replaced with lower-end chains and independent shops.
Town Square is mainly along one street, while LaCenterra is an entire town grid. The Main Street vs. a townsite is difference that you noticed. There are plenty of places to explore (e.g. hidden corners; i.e. "gems") in the town grid, unlike the Main Street layout.
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Originally Posted by swopoe
I live in SL. I still think SL is the better suburb over Katy because it’s location can’t be beat. It is so much closer in to Houston and location is everything in this city.
The drive even to The Galleria (much more UH main campus) from Cinco Ranch is soul-sapping. First Colony had a good run, but it's no longer the '90s-early '00s. The only thing going for it is location. The Galleria is only 20 minutes, Greenway is a straight shot on the freeway, and DT Houston is 30 minutes away. It takes 30 minutes to go from CR to MCM.
The housing and neighborhood amenities are rapidly aging. I was visiting a family friend last week and their 1992 house definitely shows age, especially with some of the original appliances still installed. The house and layout doesn't attract modern homebuyers who can go 10-20 minutes down the interstate for brand new/newer housing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jd433
I know this post is about comparing Katy to Sugar Land BUT I see a cooridor from Katy to Sugar Land. I guess the West Grand Parkway economic Sub region? All along the Grand Parkway? From North katy to Sugar Land and beyond. It has almost 700,000 people in it and it is one of the most diverse places on earth. It is also one of the fastest growing places in the US. Maybe comparable to the North Dallas suburbs. And it will only get bigger over time. You will likely start to see bigger and bigger projects coming along and I really hope that someone sees the potential for something like ANOTHER LEGACY WEST TYPE OF PROJECT to be developed in this cooridor somewhere along the Grand Parkway. We need to attract more large companies not just retail and fast food. We certainly have the human capital to support large companies coming to the area.
You can't go wrong in this area. We really need more people to get excited and see that this cooridor has HUGE potential if we get the right people on board and get the right leadership. I really think it has more potential than The Woodlands-Conroe or the Bay Area-Pearland. Neither place is attracting more talent than this cooridor. One of the biggest drawbacks is that most of it is unincorporated except for Sugar Land, Katy and Richmond. All of which are only in a small incorporated area. This is causing a lack of cohesinveness and unity. This is causing the area to be just a sprawling suburb when it could be much more.
I will admit that I am disappointed with the fact that the prime locations along this region like I-10 @ Grand Parkway and 59@ Grand Parkway also Westparp@Grand Parkway. All of these prime real estate locations were used for food, retail and apartments. They should have been zoned for Upscale , Master planned Office Parks. This is sad and there should have been better planning.
It's sad that FBC is not trying to emulate Collin County. But the GOP-dominated court and government is run by old-time families. It's starting to change now that the county is purple. You might see more office buildings and corporate campuses coming to the county once the Democrats take charge from the staid, isolationist thinking of the old-time families.
Dallas decided to abandon their downtown and become a car-dependent bedroom suburb with everything centered on Legacy, but Houston wants DT to resemble The Loop and P&R buses (eventually commuter trains) being the primary transport of white-collar workers. Houston only does business districts very well; freeway corridors are often low-rent "class C" office buildings--with the exception of the Katy Freeway in the Memorial area and only because of MetroNational and Mac Haik.
FBC should resemble Orange County, California instead with a network of cross-county freeways linking homes, workplaces, and retail. The county south of the Brazos is still greenfield--it's not too late to build an affluent area like the South O.C. there. Imagine Needville being as upscale as Newport Beach!?!
I think that Sugar Land has Katy beat in terms of retail and dining. The Town Square and First Colony Mall beat what Katy has to offer (Katy Mills and La Centerra).
That being said, I believe that Katy might have a brighter future than Sugar Land. In my mind, I-10 is better than 59/I-69. It's a "better" ride into town as you pass through the Energy Corridor, Memorial, and Heights areas before hitting downtown. 59 takes you through SW Houston and some of those areas are not great (not to say that they won't revitalize).
I also think that being near the Energy Corridor is a plus, as is being close to Memorial City and CityCentre. Those are major employment centers. Katy has access to those.
Sugar Land is surrounded by some less affluent communities, such as Alief, Stafford, certain parts of MO City, Rosenberg, etc.
There are great schools in both areas. Sugar Land has a minor league baseball team as well as a natural science museum. Katy has the water park.
I do think Katy homes will appreciate more in the long term. I can see the 1980s and 1990s homes in neighborhoods like Kelliwood and Green Trails being million dollar homes one day.
Somebody correct me here but is it not a big area of what people call "Katy" can eventually end up being annexed by the city of Houston?? This can never happen to SL.
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The grid
