KATY, Texas- For years now, Chinatown has been Houston's primary destination for all things Asian, but now a new development in Katy will change everything.
"This is not a typical Chinatown," said Josie Lin, a RE/MAX United broker coordinating the project.
It'll be named Katy Asian Town, a 15.5 acre shopping center under construction near the Grand Parkway and I-10.
"It's a taste of Asia without traveling," said Lin.
Lin says it will offer the northwest side increased options.
"More fun," said Lin.
H-Mar, the number one international supermarket in the United States will anchor the shopping center, and it'll be surrounded by diverse Asian themed restaurants, bars and shops.
"We have a lot of restaurants, Korean, Chinese, Vietnames, and even different food from different countries," said Lin.
It's the perfect place for the Asian shopping hub says Lin. 2015 census data shows 20 percent of Fort Bend County is Asian. And in Katy the trend is even more significant.
"Katy is booming so we believe we need to serve more of our community," said Lin.
So far 60 percent of the storefronts have been booked. Lin says the project will bring in droves of non-Asian visitors too and help the city continue to live up to its title of most diverse in the nation.
"We try to have everyone taste what's good about Asia," said Lin.
Lin says there's no firm date for opening, but they anticipate a soft opening of some stores in early 2018.