The Katy City Council on Monday, Aug. 10, formally accepted water, sewer, drainage and street infrastructure serving Texas Heritage Marketplace, the $400 million mixed-use development rising along Interstate 10 at Texas Heritage Parkway. The vote hands the city ownership of utilities along Heritage Oak Lane and a sanitary sewer lift station, clearing one of the final municipal hurdles before a wave of tenant openings begins.

First up: a Lowe's Home Improvement at 981 Heritage Oak Lane. The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a ribbon-cutting for Friday, Sept. 4, from 9 to 10 a.m., according to Covering Katy. The 95,000-square-foot store, which includes a 30,000-square-foot outdoor garden center, is expected to employ more than 100 workers.

"With a project this size, we typically develop it in phases," said David Meyers, NewQuest's managing director of leasing and development partner. "But the demand for retail in this high-growth area is immediate so everyone is committed to getting it done as quickly as possible."

The 165-acre project, developed by NewQuest Properties in Waller County within Katy's extraterritorial jurisdiction, will eventually include more than 750,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 550 apartment units in two communities, nearly 300,000 square feet of medical office space and self-storage. As of July, officials said 85% to 90% of the development had been preleased, according to Community Impact.

Whataburger is already open at the front of the site. Target, at 148,793 square feet, is nearing completion and expected to open in October 2026. Sam's Club with a fuel station, spanning nearly 168,000 square feet combined, is under construction. Both anchors were recently confirmed for the center.

NewQuest is targeting a first-quarter 2027 completion for a multi-tenant phase that will house Academy Sports + Outdoors (51,068 square feet), Burlington (22,147 square feet), Spec's Fine Wines & Spirits, Ulta Beauty and EoS Fitness, alongside a nearly five-acre green space called Heritage Grove, according to Secret Houston. That green space is centered around a large heritage oak tree that developers relocated to the heart of the project.

Restaurant tenants announced so far include Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Escalante's, Tony C's Pizza & Beer Garden, Aji Izakaya and Kilwins. A Houston Methodist emergency room and a three-story, 51,000-square-foot medical office building are also planned.

Katy City Administrator Byron Hebert said at the March 2025 groundbreaking that the city expects roughly $3 million in annual sales tax revenue from the property, according to the Katy EDC.

The development sits along Texas Heritage Parkway, a 6.5-mile corridor connecting I-10 to Fulshear. NewQuest says the center is positioned to serve residents in Cane Island, Cross Creek Ranch, Firethorne, Jordan Ranch, Lakehouse, Young Ranch, Sunterra and Tamarron. According to NewQuest, the trade area population within five miles has grown 56% since 2020, reaching nearly 147,000 with an average household income of $162,886.

A $320 million widening of I-10 near the site to 10 lanes is scheduled to begin construction in late 2026.