Preserving history From the cover
Why it matters
What’s happening?
The committee comes after the city saw a 67.1% population increase from 15,071 to 25,184 between 2014 and 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey five-year estimates. However, Mayor William “Dusty” Thiele said city officials estimate the population is currently around 27,000, with the number still growing as housing development in Katy Boardwalk continues. Amid the growth, Thiele said the city is working to maintain its charm in Historic Town Square, an area where Katy still feels like the small town it was. “We want to keep the small town feel, and that’s the reason why we have all the events that we have down here on the square,” he said.
installing even simple items such as air conditioning as “impossible,” due to energy code requirements. Now, Nurcahya is hoping the committee— created to help people preserving historic buildings across the city find creative workarounds to coding problems, while maintaining both safety and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance—can help him get The Dryer to the state he envisions. The committee, which will include structural engineers and residents who value the city’s history, has seen over a dozen applicants since opening applications. Corte said she wants the committee to include about seven people. The Dryer is only one of several properties in Old Katy that officials are looking to revitalize and turn into a community hub, with the city focusing its priority on Historic Town Square.
The city of Katy has launched a historic preservation commission advisory group to help keep the city’s landmarks up to current safety standards while preserving the city’s historic charm as the population grows. The committee, brought to City Council by Ward A council member Janet Corte and Ward B council member Gina Hicks, will prioritize its focus on the city’s historic rice dryers. The historic J.V. Cardiff & Sons Rice Dryer, now owned by developer Hadi “Andrew” Nurcahya, is undergoing a 3-acre revitalization project. That project is now in its second phase after the first phase concluded with the opening of the Katy Beer Garden in June 2024. Nurcahya said he has run into roadblocks with modern coding laws, trying to preserve The Dryers since starting work on them in 2021. With the building failing to meet the International Building Code, he described
City of Katy population growth 30K
+67.1%
25K
20K
The Dryer attractions The Dryer will offer several additional attractions in addition to Katy Beer Garden and the farmers market as developers complete the second and third phases.
15K
10K
0
2014
2019
2024
Gift shop
Katy Rice Dryer Museum
Katy Beer Garden
Restaurant inside the silos
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 5-YEAR ESTIMATES/COMMUNITY IMPACT
What else?
Centreville model train exhibit
Food court
Old Katy Farmers Market
Green space and playground
The city is also focused on mobility downtown, working on several projects to help increase parking and build sidewalks, as well as allow walkability from as far as Leyendecker Landing Park via the future Snow Goose Trail, Thiele said. Those projects include connecting First Street to what could become the Katy Entertainment District, an area that nearly stretches to Katy Fort Bend Road and would include several retail and restaurant options, including Nurcahya’s Katy Beer Garden.
Mobility projects
4THST.
1
3RDST.
Future Snow Goose Trail 2nd Street parking lot
1
2
“The Katy” rideable train Painted red with “The Katy” branded on the side, the development’s miniature train is a nod
to Katy once being the last stop on the Missouri- Kansas-Texas Railroad, also known as The Katy, according to the Katy Railroad Historical Society.
2
2NDST.
1STST.
90
N
SOURCE: THE DRYER/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF KATY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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