The Houston-Galveston Area Council in Texas voted to sell roughly 1,400 acres of land to Waller County after decades of planning to build a third airport.
The land was first purchased by the City of Houston in 1986 for $5.7 million, equivalent to about $16.9 million today, according to the Houston Chronicle.
At the time, the massive tract was intended for a proposed Westside Airport, which would be a general aviation reliever facility used for private planes, business jets, and flight training.
The idea has been floated by federal, state, and regional planners since the 1970s as a way to reduce traffic at airports like George Bush Intercontinental.
Planning records from the Houston Galveston Area Council and the Federal Aviation Administration once pointed to the Katy Prairie as the ideal site for a new airport that could ease traffic at Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.
Instead of runways and terminals, Waller County officials now have very different plans.
County Judge Trey Duhon said the land will be used largely for parks, flood control, and conservation efforts.
Roughly 600 acres are already protected under a conservation easement.
“We’ll be operating within that, which is fine,” Duhon said, noting the county can still pursue projects such as regional detention systems even with development restrictions in place.
“There’s a large portion where we can’t do much development-wise, but we can use it for detention basins or lakes to help with drainage,” he added.
“That area really needs it.”
The property could also become a cornerstone of Waller County’s first-ever county park system.
“We do not have any county parks at this moment, but with the growth we know is coming, it is important,” Duhon said.
“We hope to make this available for people to enjoy the Katy Prairie, to fish, picnic, maybe even horseback ride.”
The land’s aviation roots stretch back nearly half a century.
Westside Airport Plan Timeline
1980’s – Houston officials propose a major new airport on the Katy Prairie, sparking early backlash..
1988 – Federal wildlife officials warn the site poses serious bird strike risks..
Late 1980’s – Waller County disputes the findings, but the FAA orders a full environmental review.
Late 1980’s/Early 1990’s – Oil downturn slows aviation growth and weakens airport demand forecasts..
1990’s – Environmental concerns and local opposition stall the “Katy Prairie Airport.”.
1998 – Mayor Lee Brown formally ends the airport plan, citing sufficient capacity at existing airports.
2000’s – The land sits unused as the project fades..
2010’s – Efforts to revive the airport resurface but fail to gain traction..
December 2025 – Houston sells the land for $19.7 million, officially scrapping the airport for good..
In the 1980s, city aviation leaders and landowners imagined a sprawling airport with parallel runways, sophisticated landing systems and hundreds of hangars.
Some even compared the vision to Hobby Airport.
But the proposal quickly ran into fierce resistance from Katy-area residents, private airport operators, and environmental advocates.
By the late 1990s, Houston Airport System officials determined the city’s existing airports had enough long-term capacity.
In 1998, then-Mayor Lee Brown formally pulled the plug on the Westside Airport idea, recommending the land be used for wetlands mitigation or sold off if it was no longer needed.
Now, with the sale finalized, the long-dormant airport plan has officially been grounded for good.
