Convenience Big Store: The building boom reshaping New Caney

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A rendering of the 328-acre Azalea District now under construction in Valley Ranch. The development will bring more housing and a healthcare district to New Caney.

80% population surge fuels New Caney development wave

Once a small rural exurb, New Caney is rapidly transforming as infrastructure upgrades and sprawling housing developments attract waves of new residents. Over the past decade, the community’s population has surged 80%, with even more growth expected as two major master-planned communities — Valley Ranch and The Trails — add thousands of new homes alongside a 368-acre health care district.

My latest story offers a glimpse at where Montgomery County’s next phase of growth may be headed.

Marissa Luck, Senior reporter, Real estate

Marissa.Luck@houstonchronicle.com

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Residential

A model of the St. Regis Houston building is shown in the sales gallery and construction site ahead of the project’s groundbreaking for a 38-story residential tower near Memorial Park in Houston, Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Houston Chronicle

St. Regis penthouses sold out before the tower even broke ground

The St. Regis Residences is the latest sign that Houston’s luxury condominium market is starting to mature as the city’s ultra-luxury buyers increasingly commit to multimillion-dollar condos well before they’re built. The 38-story tower broke ground near Memorial Park this week and sales are exceeding expectations.

Boaters pass the Riverview at Forest Cove townhouse complex in the Kingwood area which was destroyed by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey. It sits abandoned along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River east of Highway 59, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018 in Humble.

Photo by: Mark Mulligan, Staff Photographer

Kingwood floodplain development halted after backlash

State land officials say a taxpayer-backed project to develop 5,300 acres in a floodplain near Kingwood won’t move forward, but local leaders remain concerned about the property's future.

A mold test kit on a table in Faye Ku’s apartment at Uvalde Ranch Apartments on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Houston. Uvalde Ranch, a Houston Housing Authority-owned project, has had multiple water leaks after the derecho and Hurricane Beryl, which has led to voucher holders failing their inspections, putting them at risk of getting evicted or losing their vouchers.

Photo by: Karen Warren, Staff Photographer

Houston to begin crackdown on unsafe apartment complexes

Houston City Council on Wednesday approved an ordinance creating a "high-risk" apartment inspection program aimed at cracking down on some of the city's most unsafe multifamily complexes.

One of the city’s new solid waste vehicles collects trash on Merrill St in the Heights on February 19, 2026.

Photo by: Jill Karnicki, Staff Photographer

Will Houston keep subsidizing HOAs under proposed new trash fee?

Homeowners associations that have long received subsidies from the city for private trash pickup service are asking questions about how they’ll be affected by a new trash fee proposed by Mayor Whitmire.

$5,587

Homeowners spent this much on average to make repairs and upgrades to their house before selling it, according to a new survey of 1,001 sellers by American Home Shield, taken in October 2025. About a third of those homeowners had not budgeted for those repairs, the survey found.

Commercial

The Moran CityCentre, which underwent an extensive remodel in 2025, was recently sold to the owner of Memorial City Mall, MetroNational.

Photo by: MetroNational

🧖‍♀️The Swift BLDG lands news wellness tenants: New wellness-oriented brands are joining the Swift BLDG development under construction in the Heights, Radom Capital and Triten Real Estate announced. Contrast therapy studio SweatHouz will open in winter 2026 in a 1,800-square-foot space and STRONG Pilates is planning to open this fall in a 2,500-square-foot studio. Additionally, skincare and aesthetics provider the Skin Clinic is also eyeing a fall opening in the Swift within a 4,000-square-foot space. Radom Capital's Barton Kelly represented the landlord in lease negotiations.
🐔 Dave’s Hot Chicken expanding north: Dave's Hot Chicken is planning a new Atascocita location after leasing 2,500 square feet in Market at the Groves, located at the intersection of Woodland Hills Drive and Madera Run Parkway. NewQuest represented the tenant and Read King represented the landlord.