KATY TEXAS NEWS
December 10, 2018
Written by Natalie Cook Clark
Houston Community College approved and bought land for $12.5 million to build a new $55 million campus in Katy. "HCC’s new campus will contribute to the enrichment and quality of life in the greater Katy area," said Butch Herod, director of HCC's West Houston Institute.
On Wednesday, HCC Board of Trustees approved the purchase of approximately 24 acres of land and a three-year purchase option on an adjacent 30 acres of land at 228 Colonial Parkway. The building itself will be 140,000 square feet. That is near the intersection of Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway, by the Cinemark movie theater. The new HCC facility will run adjacent to the University of Houston-Katy’s facility, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019.
"We believe that the logic of our decision to build a new campus in Katy both mirrors and complements a similar decision by the University of Houston to build a new campus in Katy as well," said Herod.
A Powerful Education Collaboration
With both HCC and University of Houston so close, the two schools plan to work together to bring more education opportunities to Katy students. "We will be working in collaboration with both partners to develop programs of study and degree offerings that will maximize employment opportunities for our students while simultaneously meeting the needs of both Katy and greater Houston," said Herod. "As an example, HCC is collaborating with UH to prepare students for engineering careers by providing the first two years of a four year engineering Bachelor’s degree to help meet the critical shortage of engineers in greater Houston, and on the west side in particular."
Longstanding Katy Partnership
"Houston Community College has had a longstanding partnership with Katy, and Katy is in the HCC service area," said Herod. "Approximately 5,000 Katy area residents currently attend HCC. Demographic trends and projections clearly continue to show a westward migration of population in the Greater Houston area, with Katy projected to grow significantly over the course of the next several decades."
Initial Plans Underway
"With Houston weather, no one can predict this with certitude, but the initial plan approved by the HCC Board of Trustees calls for a 31-36 month timeline from inception to completion," said Herod. This would stay in line with what HCC Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado said Thursday the current timeline has HCC-Katy scheduled to open in summer of 2021. "Our goal for the new campus is to build a 21st century facility based on the best and most innovative thinking around teaching and learning augmented by the use of technology. Our plan is to move from the Fry Road location upon completion of the new campus."
"Katy residents will also benefit from our new campus through even closer access to lower cost educational opportunities for Katy students, and from our partnerships with both Katy ISD and the University of Houston," said Herod. This is a great opportunity for the Katy community and those residents and students seeking higher educational opportunities.