A filing with the Texas Workforce Commission indicates that Tarkett, which operates one of the last industrial installations in the stretch of parking-lot-heavy retail south of I-10 that’s come to be known as Katyville, has decided to shut down its Texas Tile Manufacturing plant at 1705 Oliver St. and eliminate 109 jobs. The Tarkett facility is located between the Studemont Kroger and the Sawyer Heights Target, both of which were built on former industrial properties surrounding it. According to HCAD data, Texas Tile Manufacturing owns 21 acres at the Oliver St. facility — with frontage on Summer St., Oliver St., and the eastbound I-10 feeder road.
- Tile manufacturer to close Houston facilities, affecting more than 100 jobs [Houston Business Journal]
- Job losses at tile maker [Houston Chronicle ($)]
Photo: HFF
21 Acres in Katyville
Amazing how quickly that area that was a manufacturing zone for decades is being quickly turned into residential. That area, and the Eado/Warehouse District are great examples of the benefits of no zoning laws. 21 acres, assuming it’s not polluted, will be likely turned into people pods within 2 years. Of course, it’s easy to say that when the changes are from industrial to residential and not the reverse.
No matter what gets planned for this spot, I’ll bet that it’ll be the real estate story of the year for at least the next two years.
So this will likely be residential then. Wasn’t there some map of a connection between Summer St. and an extension of Crockett St.?
Ok so now that this is no longer a manufacturing district, can we get the city off its duff and actually come up with a street/transportation plan that can accommodate growth in this area without funneling all traffic to streets that already are either stressed or literally cannot handle the weight of said traffic…..
Oh wait, this area doesn’t have a high rise? It has big box stores w/ surface parking?Then there shouldn’t be any traffic problem at all. NM. Actually, instead of using city $ to build adequate streets can we just take that same $ and give it to whomever buys this property. That’s probably a better idea.
They are building a Top Golf in that area.
Sucks for those losing their jobs.
I wonder how long Arne’s and Party Boy will hold out before selling. The property underneath them is becoming more valuable by the day.
I believe that is the last industrial facility (along with Success Rice) to have regular deliveries via rail in Katyville (sorry that name is lame). In case anyone has grand visions, the railroad tracks are going no where.
Tarkett should move into that big domed structure sitting over by Reliant/NRG Stadium. I understand they have the room available to accomodate their operations.
Stop it with the Katyville crap. No one else is using that term and it is the dumbest thing I ever heard.
Let’s go back to the 1980’s-early 2000’s: that whole area was a “no mans’ land”. Druggies,hookers,pimps,gang bangers,thugs, homeless & amid all of the craziness was David Adickes’ warehouse workshop ,where he until he sold all of the land , that is now the Target/Petsmart retail center -including the apartments hugging I-10. I think he had weapons stashed in that non Air Conditioned warehouse/workshop!!!
Swamplot refers to this neighborhood by a snarky name which first appears, apparently according to google, on….Swamplot. I did a quick search on Swamplot itself and this name appears all of five times since December of 2013. Swamplot claims that “the area has come to be known by….”, again with every reference since that ancient (practically pre-historic!) date from Swamplot.. It is used twice by commentators, and the rest from editorial at Swamplot. So from all I can gather, at least two people in the universe actually used this name before Swamplot made its bold declaration. Echo chamber?
The perpetuation of the name by Swamplot is ironic considering the amount of attention it has paid to a northside neighborhood which is fighting to preserve its identity, at least in name, from outsiders with dubious intentions. While I personally find the creation of new names by developers obnoxious, they usually try to impart at the very least some geographic rationale. Here the motivation is simple derision and in my book that makes this more dubious then the dipshit invention of “Tampico Heights.”
“Katyville”…so lame, yet somehow so appropriate…if dropped into the middle of that place blindfolded it would certainly be possible to believe you woke up in Katy or somewhere similarly bland and soul-sucking. Now to come up with a name for all that new development over there by the Walmart on Yale. Katyville West?
I wonder when the buildings in between Center & Washington will eventually be dozed for more midrise “resort style” apartments. Center street needs to be completely torn up and re-paved. The potholes are almost as bad as the westheimer curve.
agreed with others in that “Katyville” is just dumb. you don’t see anywhere near the same quantity of luxury vehicles and entitled housewives parading around Katy as you do in this area.
The name Katyville sucks. That’s why it’s perfect.
Presumably, Summer Street will be extended through Adicke’s (former) property; I believe the City has right-of-way through there.
Would be nice if city could use the chance, when it comes, for bicycle connectivity. Would have been nice if they’d used the Kroger 380 giveaway for such.