Washington Ho’s latest real estate venture is set to bring dining, entertainment and hospitality options to an 8-acre site west of Houston.
The HBO reality TV star and co-founder of White Houston Global Properties plans to develop an “eater-tainment” project in Katy under the company’s commercial real estate division, WHGP Commercial, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The proposed 200,000-square-foot project, slated for development off Kingsland Boulevard and Katy Fort Bend Road near Katy Mills Mall, will include restaurants, entertainment venues and a 120-key hotel. Construction on the hotel is expected to begin by late 2025 and take about a year to complete.
It is the firm’s first commercial real estate development, part of a strategic expansion beyond its residential roots. WHGP Commercial is negotiating with a family sports and entertainment concept to anchor the development. With the right tenant mix, Ho believes the project will serve as a local hub for recreation and dining.
WHGP expects to open an Austin office early next year.
In addition to the Katy development, the firm is also spearheading a restaurant row project in northwest Houston. That 5-acre project will host Mexican restaurant Ambriza, which is relocating from its Louetta Road location, as well as other yet-to-be-announced dining establishments.
Ho has also partnered with Houston-based Huynh Investment Group on a $100 million investment initiative targeting Chinatowns in Houston, Arlington and other out-of-state locations.
Other major projects in Katy include the construction of a $12 million headquarters building by XAG Group, a 2,800-home master-planned community by Johnson Development and a $40 million apartment complex in the Katy Boardwalk District by KatySueba USA, due in 2026.
— Andrew Terrell
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