NewQuest has snapped up 18.5 acres on the north side of Katy, setting the stage for another sizable mixed-use project along the fast-growing I-10 corridor. The site, at the southwest corner of Morton and Porter roads, will be divided into nearly seven acres of retail and about 11.8 acres dedicated to a 334-unit Class A apartment community. Pelican Builders Inc. is lined up to develop the residences and Meeks + Partners is listed as the project's designer, with construction expected to ramp up in early 2027.
Deal details and who is building
According to Connect CRE, NewQuest bought the 18.5-acre parcel and has earmarked about 11.8 acres for residential use and nearly seven acres for retail and pad sites. The apartment component is planned for 334 Class A units that will average roughly 865 square feet, with a mix of one, two and three bedroom floor plans.
Pelican Builders Inc. is expected to deliver a modern farmhouse-style complex that includes air conditioned corridors, elevators and two community courtyards. Per the reporting, initial residential deliveries are scheduled to begin in March 2028, so early tenants could be moving in while the broader project continues to build out.
Retail plan at the hard corner
NewQuest outlines a retail plan that features a 10,860 square foot multi tenant building at the signalized hard corner, along with five pad sites available for ground lease. The marketing materials call out proximity to a new H E B and other traffic drivers, positioning the retail to capture neighborhood shoppers and sports field crowds that already move through the area.
The pads are expected to be ready for construction by mid 2027, and the multi tenant building is slated to deliver in early 2028. In other words, retail could be coming out of the ground while the apartments are still under construction.
Timeline and what to expect
NewQuest anticipates that construction will ramp up in early 2027, with site work and pad level infrastructure coming first, followed by vertical construction. As reported by Connect CRE, the developer expects retail deliveries in early 2028 and residential move ins starting around March 2028.
If the schedule holds, crews could be prepping the site next year, with leasing for the apartments likely to get going ahead of the first units delivering.
Developers and local context
Pelican Builders, Inc., a Houston based residential developer with a multidecade local track record, will handle the apartment development at the site. The company’s profile notes experience with mid rise and high density projects across Houston, which may help shape the amenity mix and overall design approach for this Katy community.
NewQuest has been active across Katy with large developments such as the Texas Heritage Marketplace, as covered by CultureMap, underscoring its long term bet on the growth of the I 10 corridor and the broader west Houston suburbs.
What this means for Katy
For nearby residents, the project brings new housing stock and additional neighborhood retail clustered around an already busy corner, which could reshape traffic patterns and shopping options over the next few years. NewQuest’s marketing leans on nearby anchors and amenities to help the pad sites attract neighborhood serving tenants.
While Pelican and the design team finalize plans, NewQuest is actively marketing the retail parcels. Permits, leasing and grading are expected to take shape ahead of full construction, so neighbors can expect to see incremental activity on the site before the cranes and vertical construction arrive.
