CITY OF KATY (Covering Katy News)—The City of Katy, local entrepreneurs, and residents are developing a proposal to make the city's iconic rice dryers the centerpiece of a new multi-use entertainment district.
Work began in February, and the City of Katy hired the Kendig Keast Collaborative, a nationally recognized community planning firm, to develop the concept.
City Planner Rachel Lazo expects that proposal will be ready for the public to review later this year.
Gary Mitchell, president of Kending Keast, said developing an entertainment district was part of the city's comprehensive plan that the city council adopted last May. He expects more public input as the plan comes together.
"When we get further along in the process and have more to show, we'll have public activities," Mitchell said. "Early on, it's between the city and the property owners. It's their world, so we need to see where they are and what they think about these concepts."
Part of the process is reviewing what other communities have done to facilitate development. Mitchell cited the Magnolia Project in Waco, which involves the redevelopment of silos and other properties into retail and restaurant locations. Chip and Joanna Gaines, hosts of the Fixer Upper television show, are behind that project.
In the City of Brenham, the family that owns Blue Bell Creameries donated over 100 acres of land for a park. Mitchell says the donation was done to encourage commercial development on 600 acres of adjacent property.
In Katy, the proposed entertainment district area is already under development.
Last April, members of the Cardiff family gathered with local developer Hadi "Andrew" Nurcahya to commemorate the unveiling of a sign marking the J.V. Cardiff & Sons Dryer at 5321 1st Street. Nurcahya is redeveloping the property through a series of projects.
The first project, the Katy Beer Garden, is being built at 5345 East 3rd Street. Steven Salazar, founder and CEO, says it will have 100 beers on tap and plenty of cocktails and spirits.
The beer garden is awaiting final inspections by city officials before opening, and managers are accepting employment applications.
The property will also feature a three-story building with a food court, restaurants, and office space. An event space is planned for the property next to the beer garden, and developers expect to have a miniature train on a track circling the property.
Nurcahya plans to keep the historic rice dryers on the property even though they last operated in 1987.
"It's counterintuitive to do that (tear down and rebuild) because it costs more to tear down the buildings," Nurcahya said. "To preserve it for the next 50 to 100 years is a totally different story."
Nurcahya hopes the development process will succeed organically without a great deal of structured guidance from the city.
Mitchell said the plan, when made public, will outline possible types of development and the improvements in public infrastructure necessary for developing an entertainment district.
"Not specific, but conceptual, is the key word," Mitchell said.