Dinosaurs may not still rule the earth, but they will soon be seen in Katy, with the opening of Jurassic World: The Exhibition, which was announced at the February 2nd “State of the City” luncheon hosted by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce at Embassy Suites, 16435 Katy Freeway.

The exhibit from Universal will open March 8th in a 40,000-square foot tent located at Katy Mills Mall, 5000 Katy Mills Circle, Katy, according to Byron Hebert, city administrator for the City of Katy. The Jurassic Park exhibit will be up for about a year, when it will be replaced by another exhibit from Universal, city officials said.

Hebert and City of Katy Mayor Dusty Thiele led up to the surprise announcement by focusing their annual presentation to the chamber on the answer to the question: “What’s next?”

Thiele described issues facing the city, using the example of the recent addition of a Home Depot store in Katy – a project he championed from his first day in office, he said. Thiele became aware that Home Depot was looking for a site and he wanted that site to be in Katy. However, there were significant obstacles to overcome. The proposed site was outside of the Katy city limits, and inside Houston’s extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Additionally, the project had no utilities or detention, and relocation of a drill site and pipelines would be required, along with an expansion of Kingsland Blvd. Due to the May 2023 passage of Texas Senate Bill 2038, led by State Representative Mike Schofield who represents the Katy area in the Texas legislature, property owners can now exit a city’s ETJ and petition for annexation by a different city’s ETJ. This is what happened with Home Depot, Thiele said.

Home Depot was released from Houston’s ETJ and annexed into City of Katy. Utilities were extended under I-10 and Kingsland Boulevard at Cane Island Parkway was expanded. Drill site and pipelines were relocated and detention was resolved. An additional eight pad sites were created as well. Home Depot has scheduled a Community Night for April 10th followed by a grand opening on April 11th, Thiele said.

Because the City of Katy is landlocked and surrounded by the ETJs of Houston and other municipalities, growth potential for Katy is limited, Thiele said. Senate Bill 2038 presents the solution to that issue, he noted. Hebert said that the city has conducted a study to identify all of the large landowners along I-10. “We want to work with them,” said Hebert. He also outlined other new projects, including the expansion of the Love’s Truck Stop and the construction of Texas Heritage Marketplace, a 472,000-SF mixed-use retail and grocery-anchored development located at southeast corner of I-10 and Pederson Road.

The pair also provided updates from the city’s major departments:

· Katy Police Department: The department’s partnership with Katy Mills Mall and the Katy Management District in a remote drone operation were described, along with the FLOCK license plate reader operation, which was recently used to apprehend an organized motor vehicle theft crew, resulting in $700,000-$800,000 in recovered stolen vehicles and 16 arrests.

· Katy Fire Department has maintained its ISO rating of 1, which Katy officials expect will help local homeowners and businesses save money on insurance thanks to improved fire protection. A new fire truck and new EMS vehicle were also acquired this year, Thiele said.

· Public Works Department: Ongoing maintenance to city-owned public infrastructure and facilities includes rehabilitation to water and wastewater treatment plants, improvements to the streets in the Town Park subdivision and drainage improvements along Third Street.

Major concerns about mobility were also addressed in the presentation, with an update on the use of Metro funds for projects such as the improvements to the intersection of Pitts Road and Morton and Katy Hockley Road at Morton.

A “more livable Katy” is also a goal of the city, Thiele said. He pointed to improvements in several city parks, including a shade structure at the city dog park, completion of new playground equipment at Katy Park and plans for new playground equipment at Woodsland Park. Hebert described improvements designed to draw more people to Katy’s historic downtown square, including the upcoming installation of murals around the water tower. He also provided updates on the city’s “3 B’s” learning center and on plans to make Katy “a more walkable city” with the addition of a trail connecting Leyendecker Landing to downtown.

Hebert described progress at the Katy Boardwalk, noting that the 2.5-mile trail phase two is now complete. He said that the Boardwalk Square Lofts would be breaking ground in April 2024. The extension of Katy-Fort Bend Road (Phase 3) is now complete and is pending power, he said. A hotel and conference center is still on the table, he added.

Hebert recognized Katy Mills Mall’s growth as well. The mall is now nearly fully leased, he said, and has added recent tenants including Sephora, Hey Dude and Puma, along with opening the Slick City slide park attraction. He closed the presentation with the first public announcement of the March 8th opening of the Jurassic Park: The Exhibition, a 40,000-square foot tent that will be located at Katy Mills Mall. (See sidebar).

“Now, watch us grow,” said Thiele.