'Katy Asian Town' being developed in east Katy

Private developers are building "Katy Asian Town" at the northeast corner of the Grand Parkway and Interstate 10. The 15.5-acre center will be anchored by an H Mart, a popular Asian grocery store chain. Private developers are building "Katy Asian Town" at the northeast corner of the Grand Parkway and Interstate 10. The 15.5-acre center will be anchored by an H Mart, a popular Asian grocery store chain. Photo: RE/MAX United Photo: RE/MAX United Image 1 of / 44 Caption Close 'Katy Asian Town' being developed in east Katy 1 / 44 Back to Gallery

Private developers are building a retail center at the northeast corner of the Grand Parkway and Interstate 10 that is designed to primarily cater to the area's Asian population.

Named "Katy Asian Town," the 15.5-acre center is being anchored by an H Mart, a popular Asian grocery store chain. Stakeholders are hoping the property will attract the significant Asian population that has developed around Katy while also becoming a destination for students and staff of a University of Houston System campus that will be constructed nearby.

"We have an incredible Asian population (in Katy)," said RE/MAX United broker Josie Lin, the primary representative of the project. "If you are familiar with Chinatown in Bellaire, you can tell Chinatown is kind of crowded. That's one of the reasons for (Katy Asian Town). There's a high demand in Katy for Asian retail stores."

The roughly 50,000-square-foot H Mart will be surrounded by more than 100,000 square feet of stores and restaurants, according to Lin, who said about 60 percent of the available 51 units of space at the center have been leased. There will be several known Asian businesses such as Gong Cha tea, Atami Steak and Sushi and Soju 101, an Asian bar, Lin said.

The center has been quietly planned for more than a year. It's unclear which developers are involved in the project because they have not publicly disclosed their names and no immediate information was available on them. Developers want to maintain a low profile until the project is complete, Lin said.

The recent growth of the Katy area has brought an influx of Asians that retail developers can capitalize on, said Austin Zhao, chair at the Asian Chamber of Commerce - Houston.

In Fort Bend County, about 20 percent of the roughly 628,000 residents are Asian or "other," a 2015 census estimate shows. In the 181-square-mile Katy school district, Asians represent about 15 percent of the student population, according to the most recent data from Katy ISD. And in nearby Sugar Land, where 37 percent of the city's population is Asian, there are already multiple Asian stores such as the Welfresh Market.

"That area is a growing area. It's booming," Zhao said of Katy. "There are lots of Asian people in Sugar Land, but now, a lot of Asians are also moving to Katy because Asian families care about education and Katy has good schools and transportation. So, it's not surprising that the Katy Asian Town is being built."

Zhao said most of his more than 300 active chamber members live in west Houston-area towns such as Katy and Sugar Land.

Katy Asian Town is being constructed next to land where a University of Houston System campus will open in 2019, giving stakeholders further reason to develop the retail space.

The campus is expected to initially include an 80,000-square-foot building and serve about 2,000 students before expanding to more buildings that will hold roughly 8,000-10,000 students.

Plans for a 300-unit apartment complex just north of the campus also exist. In an information document presented by Lin, the UH System campus is highlighted as a nearby resource.

The first set of stores at Katy Asian Town are expected to open by the end of the year, Lin said. It's unclear when the H Mart will open.

"This will be not only a benefit for Katy, but for Cypress, and even north to The Woodlands," Lin said. "It will serve people who are coming from places like San Antonio, too."