HOUSTON | Metro/Suburban Area Developments

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Sugar Land



https://communityimpact.com/houston/...-pointe-plaza/

Sugar Land approves next steps for Lake Pointe Plaza

By Shaheryar Khan | 3:41 PM Feb 28, 2024 CST
Updated 3:49 PM Feb 28, 2024 CST

Sugar Land City Council approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and Sugar Land-based developer Planned Community Developers for the redevelopment of the Lake Pointe Plaza area in a Feb. 27 meeting.

The development aims to revitalize the area and accommodate changing market demands, as well as align with the city's priority of redevelopment, said Devon Rodriguez, Sugar Land's director of economic development.

The setup

Community Impact previously reported last year Planned Community Developers, known for the First Colony residential development and the Sugar Land Town Square, announced plans for the Lake Pointe Plaza redevelopment project.

How we got here

July 2023: Fluor Corp. announced its relocation from Sugar Land campus to the Energy Corridor.

August 2023: PCD acquired the 53 acres of land, and a workshop was presented to the city outlining the vision for the Lake Pointe Plaza redevelopment project.

December 2023: The Lake Pointe Redevelopment District was approved, adjusting land use plans and zoning to adapt to market changes. A new zoning district was added, rezoning 53.8 acres along Creekbend Drive and Fluor Daniel Drive. A Redevelopment Concept Plan was developed to guide future development.

The update


A memorandum of understanding is a formal agreement between two or more parties outlining the terms and details of their mutual understanding or agreement on a particular matter.

Rodriguez presented to council the terms of the memorandum of understanding, which included:

-Financial support from the city for infrastructure improvements and demolition/remediation of buildings

-A demolition schedule agreement, ensuring old buildings are torn down before the city accepts any new infrastructure, especially in areas planned for new homes.

-A designation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone or establishment of a Public Improvement District for project financing

-A 3.5-acre space dedicated for civic space, offering community gathering and entertainment venues

-Consideration of a hotel and conference center within the redevelopment area

-Potential abandonment or relocation of existing right-of-way for development efficiency

-The preservation of mature trees and establishment of a landscape plan
Dedication of no more than 21 acres of land for urban homes or townhomes to diversify housing options

-An agreement on phasing and relocation of Creek Bend Drive

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League City



https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=7#cxrecs_s

Perot-owned Hillwood breaks ground on Legacy community in League City, announces builders

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 7, 2024

Dallas-based Hillwood Communities has broken ground on its third master-planned community in the Houston area, Legacy in League City.

Company executives, city officials and others gathered on the west end of League City Parkway on March 6 for a groundbreaking ceremony.

While crews started clearing the 705-acre site late last year, construction is now underway on a new segment of League City Parkway that will connect the road’s current dead-end near Florence Campbell Elementary School with Friendswood Lakes Boulevard in Friendswood.

Hillwood expects to complete the roughly 1-mile road by September. It is also widening another segment of League City Parkway farther east to four lanes from two. While that segment will not be part of Legacy, it will ensure there will be less congestion to and from the community.

“This area has seen tremendous growth, and one of the things that we pride ourselves on is locating our communities in areas that have enhanced mobility,” Hillwood Houston General Manager Russell Bynum said. “It just means so much to the residents after they move in that they can move about the community in a very efficient and effective way.”

Homesite construction will begin after drainage and detention work is completed. The developer expects lots to be delivered by spring 2025.

Confirmed homebuilders include Westin Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, Coventry Homes, Perry Homes, Shea Homes, David Weekley Homes, Beazer Homes and Partners in Building.

The first phase of the development includes 510 houses. At full build-out, Legacy will have about 1,630 single-family homes on lots with front widths ranging from 40 to more than 80 feet. Homes will start in the $300,000s and go to above $1 million.

The developer also plans to extend West Boulevard southward through the community to eventually connect with the future Grand Parkway section there.

The H. Ross Perot Jr.-owned company acquired the first 540 acres from the Stedman and Wesley West families in early 2022 and added another 156 acres, from a local investor, in September of that year.

Hillwood plans to dedicate about 100 acres of the total 805 acres to League City for a regional park.

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Webster

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Great Wolf Lodge in Webster pushes up opening date, will feature brand-new attraction

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 7, 2024

Houston’s first Great Wolf Lodge under construction in Webster is now slated to open a month earlier than first announced, and the Chicago-based Great Wolf Resorts has revealed more details about its attractions.

After initially anticipating opening on Nov. 15, the 500,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and resort east of Interstate 45 and just south of the NASA Bypass is now slated to open on Oct. 18.

“Things are going really well on the construction side of things, and (we’re) just definitely excited to bring Great Wolf Lodge to the metroplex,” said Keith Furnas, general manager of Great Wolf Webster.

The company broke ground in September 2022 and topped out in late August last year.

Guests can already book stays at the resort starting on opening day. Standard rates for a family suite start at $199.99 for a weeknight, which adds up to $277.98 after taxes and a $39.99 resort fee.

Currently, guests can take advantage of a 25% to 30% discount code for stays booked for this year. The code expires on March 15, but a similar discount previously expired before the current discount code was introduced. Discounted stays can be booked on the Great Wolf website or by calling 1-888-983-WOLF (9653) and using the promo code SLIDES.

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Conroe

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2024/03/13/landmark-properties-building-the-everstead-conroe.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=3#cxrecs_s

Landmark Properties starts 2nd local build-to-rent community in fast-growing Conroe

By Olivia Pulsinelli – Assistant managing editor, Houston Business Journal
Mar 13, 2024

Athens, Georgia-based Landmark Properties has begun construction on its second Houston-area build-to-rent community.

The Everstead at Conroe is a 23.5-acre development at 7711 Longmire Road in Conroe. It will be acquired and developed together with Japan-based Open House Group Co. Ltd., Landmark said.

The community will offer 190 units totaling 287,364 square feet of residential space. The floor plans will consist of 56 two-bedroom and 134 three-bedroom ranch homes as well as townhomes in 136 one- and two-story buildings. Units will feature granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, large pantries, hardwood-style floors, ceiling fans, walk-in closets for the main bedrooms, full-size washers and dryers, and fully fenced-in backyards with private patios. Some units will have an attached garage or storage room.

The Everstead also will have a 2,817-square-foot clubhouse with a fitness center and more, a resort-style swimming pool, dog park, playground, pickleball and bocce courts, on-site maintenance and management, and parking for 567 vehicles.

Landmark Construction, the construction arm of Landmark Properties, is the general contractor for the project. The company expects the first units to be delivered early next year and the project to be complete in late 2025.

Landmark launched its build-to-rent division in 2021. The company previously was known for student housing but also expanded into apartments with the acquisition of Atlanta-based developer Haven Communities.

The company's first project in the Houston area is The Everstead at Windrose in Spring. That 194-unit build-to-rent community was announced in October 2022 and is expected to be complete this year.

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Waller

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...s-18979518.php

Houston developer to break ground on 800-home community in Waller
By Marissa Luck,
Staff writer
March 14, 2024

An 800-home community will break ground soon in Waller, as residential growth continues northwest of Houston.

Oakberry Trails, a 215-acre master-planned community by Houston-based Ryko Development is being built on ranchland 17 miles northwest of Cypress.

“Ryko was drawn to the Waller area because of its potential for growth and the exciting developments happening along the (Highway) 290 corridor,” Abdul Barazi, company vice president, said in an email. “The attraction to Waller was also practical: It offered a peaceful, natural environment combined with the convenience of being close to shopping centers and having easy access to downtown.”

The project's name is a nod to the land's former owners, the Berry family, which sold it to Ryko two years ago, Barazi said. Ryko plans to transform a barn on the property into a youth gaming center and a horse arena into an event pavilion. A farmhouse-style community center also will be built.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Dayton

First community on east Grand Parkway could bring up to 7,000 homes


By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 15, 2024

Another residential community is coming to Liberty County, and it's likely the first directly along the newest segment of the Grand Parkway northeast of Houston.

League City-based Windy Hill Development, led by husband- and wife team Randy and Rachael Hall, last June purchased 442 acres along state Highway 99 at FM 686 to develop Freedom Trail.

The community as currently planned will have about 1,200 homes. And it could grow much bigger in the future with the potential addition of more land from the Stoesser family.

“They own an additional 2,000 or 3,000 acres that we're in discussion with them on now,” Randy Hall said. “So ultimately, this entire development could grow to 6,000 or 7,000 homes over the course of the development, including multifamily.”

The goal is to break ground in the fourth quarter of this year, deliver the first 220 lots in the third quarter of 2025 and then add another 200 or so lots every 18 months until full buildout.

Lot sizes could range from 40-foot front width to the 70s, Hall said.

“You have good incomes out there… Historically, both husband and wife work,” he said. “So they have the ability and the financial resources (for) a little bit bigger house. And so therefore, we have the opportunity to not just serve the entry-level, but you have the move-up product as well.”

The houses could be priced from the $300,000s for starter homes to the mid-$400,000s for move-up homes.

More than 70 acres are reserved for future commercial development along the Grand Parkway and FM 686, according to the preliminary site plan, with 15 acres for a potential elementary school site. The community is zoned to the Dayton Independent School District.

Amenities will include an existing 80-acre lake that was created as a sandpit to excavate material to build the Grand Parkway.

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Rosenberg

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=1#cxrecs_s

Johnson Development plans 1,500-acre community on George Ranch property in Fort Bend County



By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 19, 2024

Houston-based Johnson Development has acquired 1,491 acres from The George Foundation in Fort Bend County for a master-planned community that could be expanded significantly in the future.

The property is located on the northwestern tip of the foundation’s George Ranch, off FM 2977 at Koeblen Road behind Lamar Consolidated Independent School District’s Randle High School and the new Steenbergen Middle School on land that also used to be part of George Ranch.

The developer has not yet announced details nor a timeline for the development of the property other than saying that it will have a mix of housing, natural and planned amenities, and mixed-use development.

The parties did not disclose the sales price.

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Katy



https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Sueba USA set to break ground on 2nd Katy Boardwalk District apartment complex


By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 23, 2024

About two and a half years after opening Katy Boardwalk Lofts, Houston-based Sueba USA will start construction on a second apartment complex at the developing Katy Boardwalk District near Katy Mills on April 8.

The developer just closed a $40 million construction loan with Amegy Bank, said D.J. Blanchard, vice president of development legal affairs at Sueba.

Located at 125 Prairie Parkway, Boardwalk Square will be built a block away from the first complex along a newly constructed road that leads to the boardwalk. Estimated completion is in 2026.

Boardwalk Square will have 353 studio to three-bedroom units in 21 different floor plans ranging from 496 to 2,088 square feet.

Sueba USA affiliates Sueba Consulting Inc. and SCS 221 Series are handling design and construction in house.

Boardwalk Square is the second phase of Sueba USA’s apartment development at the Katy Boardwalk District, which is public-private partnership between the city of Katy, the Katy Development Authority and developers KBH Venture and Sueba USA.

After opening Boardwalk Lofts in November 2021, Sueba sold the property to Reston, Virginia-based TTI Capital in March 2022.

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Katy

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...nity-katy.html

Johnson Development names, breaks ground on 1,130-acre community near Katy

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 22, 2024
Updated Mar 22, 2024 5:13pm CDT

See Correction/Clarification at the end of this article.

Houston-based Johnson Development Corp. is breaking ground this week on a 2,400-home community west of Katy it is developing in partnership with Plow Realty.

The newly named Grange spans 1,130 acres from Bartlett Road to FM 2855 at Morton Road about 3 miles north of Interstate 10 and 6 miles west of the Grand Parkway.

Plow Realty is owned by Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Co. founder Jeffery Hildebrand’s family, which also sold the land to Johnson Development, according to Jacob Rice, general manager of Grange.

Plow Realty is providing financing and working with Johnson on the vision for the development, he said.

Infrastructure work is slated to begin this summer, and the first 303 lots should be delivered by the end of the year. Johnson Development plans to announce lot sizes and homebuilders in May, Rice said.

Construction on community amenities will begin next year, he said. They will include trails along lakes and parks in the first phase.

“With amenities ever-evolving, we continue to adapt with the market,” Rice said. “And so we'll continue that as we progress through development and have a lot more amenities in the future.”

The developer previously expected to have 2,800 homes on 1,146 acres, but updated land surveys led to the planned development of 2,400 lots as well as more water amenities and green space, he said.

Commercial development along the community’s thoroughfares is also part of the plan. Total build-out of the community is expected in eight years.

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Rosenberg

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/nei...d-19373778.php

Fort Bend leaders hope to bring new hotel and convention center to its sports and event complex

By Juhi Varma
March 31, 2024

Leaders in Fort Bend County and Rosenberg are joining forces in hopes of finding a developer to build a hotel and convention center near the Fort Bend Epicenter.

On March 26, Fort Bend County commissioners gave the green light to move forward.

“The point of this is to eventually come up with an interlocal agreement, a binding agreement, to activate the site further —we have the Epicenter— to do a full-service hotel that’ll bring more tourism, more dollars to the county, through tourism at the Epicenter,” said Carlos Guzman, director of the county's Economic Opportunity & Development Office.

The city and county have the go-ahead establish a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to attract a hotel developer.

The goal is to build the hotel and convention center on land next to the Fort Bend Epicenter, close to where I-69 and Texas 36 meet.

The development plan envisions structured parking and a full-service hotel with around 225 rooms.

According to county documents, the city and county will provide a tax incentive to the prospective hotel developer, featuring a 10-year rebate on the state's share of hotel occupancy taxes collected at the property.

During the 10-year incentive period, the hotel site property will be owned by the city of Rosenberg, after which it will be transferred to the county, according to agenda documents.

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La Marque

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Mixed-use districts with RV resort, hotel, boardwalk planned for La Marque, other Texas cities

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 2, 2024

A Houston-based real estate company plans to develop an RV resort-anchored mixed-use project in La Marque as one of its first developments.

Community RV Resorts, headed by long-time developers Michael Bell and Jim Nance, last week obtained city council approval to construct a water supply facility for the 62-acre project.

The Galveston County Daily News first reported on the development.

The $80 million project between Interstate 45 and state Highway 146 includes a 25-acre amenitized RV park with 265 sites as well as retail, about 10 restaurants, a hotel and boardwalk around a marsh lake.

It will be built without any financial incentives from the city of La Marque, but the council’s vote for the water service agreement with CRV was critical for the development, both the city and the developer said.

“The primary challenge for this development was their ability to access water,” La Marque Mayor Keith Bell said. “That’s part of our city that we had not developed water infrastructure for commercial or residential use.”

The company expects to break ground on the project, to be called La Marque Crossroads, in about a year after building the water infrastructure and obtaining all necessary permits, said Michelle Sanders, CRV vice president of development. Development should then take about two years.

CVR has the land under contract with two different sellers, one of them The Children’s Center Inc., and expects to close within the month, Sanders said.

The developer will build the RV park and boardwalk with restaurant buildings and possibly the hotel and retail buildings facing Highway 146, she said.

Amenities in the RV park will include a pool, clubhouse with fitness room, showers, TVs and computer room as well as a 5-acre lake. All RV sites will have full hook-ups. Rates will likely be about $750 per month on average, Sanders said.

CVR told City Council it estimates the entire development will generate nearly 600 permanent jobs and more than $39 million in tax revenue for the city over 10 years.

“We're excited in the city of La Marque to welcome this new development into our community,” Bell said. “It is truly taking a wasteland, if you will, and making it into an area that will be a main attraction in our city.”

The property is next to the 12-acre Motco federal Superfund site, which has been deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Rosenberg

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/nei...d-18670425.php

Developer gifts historic Cole Theater in Rosenberg to Fort Bend County

By Juhi Varma
Feb 20, 2024

Cole Theater in historic downtown Rosenberg was donated to Fort Bend County by its owner Bill Butler, a longtime Fort Bend resident and property developer.

“We are honored to receive such a generous gift, and my office looks forward to the challenging work of preserving a historic site while updating it into something that will continue attracting visitors and artists,” said Commissioner Dexter McCoy as the donation was accepted by the county formally at the latest Commissioners’ Court meeting.

The iconic cinema hall, with its single screen and 450 seats, served as the community’s focal point for 63 years.

Originally named Liberty Theater, the venue opened its doors in 1919 playing silent films.

It also hosted concerts and talent shows — there is an orchestra pit beneath the stage.

After its final movie screening in 1982, Cole Theater became a rental venue, changing ownership multiple times until Butler acquired it in 2005.

Last November, voters approved the county’s $153 million parks bond of which $1 million was allocated to Cole Theater. The money will be used for waterproofing, decontamination and conducting an assessment study.

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Todd Mission

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2024/04/06/airia-development-colton-community-todd-mission.html

Airia starts development of 5,700 acres for master-planned community on Aggie Expressway

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 6, 2024

Houston-based residential developer Airia Development Corp. has started work on its third and largest community.

Colton will be a 5,700-acre community around the intersection of a tolled segment of state Highway 249 called the Aggie Expressway and FM 1486 outside Todd Mission in Montgomery County, with small parts on its western side touching Grimes and Waller counties.

By full build-out, expected in more than 20 years, the community could bring about 11,000 homes to the area, the developer said.

After 45 years, Colton can be annexed by Todd Mission, according to the developer agreement with the small town. Home to a little more than 100 residents, Todd Mission is probably best known for the annual Texas Renaissance Festival.

Airia has also developed Aliana near Richmond in Fort Bend County and Artavia in east Montgomery County near The Woodlands and Conroe.

The name Colton comes from the first three letters of College Station and the last three of Houston. Colton will be almost the exact same distance from the centers of both cities, about 47 miles each way.

Airia began clearing the land for the new community last fall and expects to start building a water plant in the next 30 days, company President Travis Stone told the Houston Business Journal.

Water and sewer service will come from different municipal utility districts.

About 500 acres of Colton is reserved for commercial and multifamily development throughout the community, and there will likely be several Magnolia Independent School District campuses, Stone said.

Lot sizes will vary, with everything from 45- to 70-foot homesites as well as 80-foot lots. The goal is to deliver about 600 lots for the first phase to homebuilders by October. Stone anticipates announcing builders in about three months.

The hope is to have the model homes completed and start sales in the first or second quarter of next year. Prices have not been decided yet, but Stone expects the smaller homes to start in the low to mid-$300,000s and larger ones to start around $750,000.

The community’s design will aim to capture “the essence of Texas,” Stone said.

“As you drive through (the state), there's always these things that you see that you seem to see all over Texas, right? Architecture-wise and so forth,” he said. “And that's what we'll be pulling from to create this community.”

The developer plans to preserve many of the trees and green corridors along several dry creeks that run through the community as well as create a system of hike-and-bike trails.

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Deer Park

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...partments.html

Dakota Enterprises opens first conventional apartment complex in Deer Park in 24 years (PHOTOS)

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 12, 2024

A Houston-based developer has opened the first new conventional apartment complex in Deer Park in 24 years.

Dakota at Deer Park is the eighth ground-up multifamily development by Dakota Enterprises LLC.

The 298-unit complex is located on a narrow tract spanning more than 10 acres at 800 W. Pasadena Blvd. The development consists of eight connected three-story buildings around a long courtyard with a resort-style pool, grilling areas, a fire pit and a beer garden.

Units vary from 567-square-foot studio apartments starting at $1,220 per month to 1,363-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bath units renting for $2,550.

Units include washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances and high-speed internet, and select units have both a bathtub and walk-in shower. The community's other amenities include a 24-hour gym, a clubhouse and bicycle storage, according to its website.

“We wanted to create a community within the community of Deer Park and be central to it,” said Rick Guttman, owner of Dakota Enterprises and its affiliated construction company Ibiza Enterprises. “We’re next to (Bonnette Junior High School), we are across from the (Deer Park Independent School District) and across from the (Deer Park) High School, so we’re integral to the city of Deer Park.”

The complex was designed by Houston-based Mucasey & Associates and built by Ibiza Enterprises. Citibank provided financing.

Dakota purchased the land from two different sellers in 2018. Part of the property housed an older apartment complex, and Dakota gave its residents a year's notice before demolishing it, Guttman said.

Construction on the new complex started in 2022, and the first residents moved in in January, he said, adding that it is now about 38% leased. The last building is just now opening, Guttman said.

It is the first new conventional multifamily project in Deer Park since neighboring Boulevard at Deer Park, which was built in 2000, according to MRI Apartment Data. Since then, the only apartment complexes that have been built in the area were the low-income Glenwood Trails in 2010 and active adult community Providence Town Square in 2011.

In this case, the city liked Dakota Enterprises’ approach, Guttman said.

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Friendswood



https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ks-ground.html

$750 million Friendswood City Center breaks ground

By Florian Martin – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 19, 2024

Site work is now underway for the largest mixed-use project do date in Friendswood, south of Houston.

Local joint venture Madison Development Corp., made up of Tannos Development Group and Wolfgramm Capital, officially broke ground on Friendswood City Center on April 18.

The $750 million mixed-use district on 106 acres at FM 528 and Blackhawk Boulevard will include 150,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 200,000 square feet medical and office space, a 500-unit apartment complex, and a hotel with 150 rooms, a restaurant and 5,000-square-foot convention center.

Nearly half of the overall property, 52 acres, will be turned into a city park with 4.2 miles of walking and biking trails, a fishing lake with pier, parking and public restrooms.

The groundbreaking comes about three months after Tannos Development Group owner and president Louis Tannos previously estimated to start construction. However, the developer still expects to break ground on the first buildings in the next three to five months.

Tannos will build the infrastructure, including an extension of Blackhawk Boulevard to connect FM 528 with West Bay Area Boulevard, and some of the shell buildings.

Wolfgramm plans to develop six buildings, including one retail building, the apartments and the hotel.

The company is considering Hilton and Marriott brands for the hotel, said Russ Handy, co-founder and partner at Wolfgramm Capital.

“We’ll see who gives us the most key money, the most incentives, the best deal,” he said. “It’s going to be an off-brand, so we can name it whatever we want.”

The name currently being considered is “The Colony” as a nod to the Quaker colony that became Friendswood. Depending on when it is completed, it could be Friendswood’s very first hotel. A 30-room boutique hotel is planned for Friendswood-based Banfield Properties Inc.’s One Sixty One mixed-use development on South Friendswood Drive.

The joint venture has sold the remaining pads for retail buildings.