Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tomball EDC outlines new restaurants and multi‑phase CSCW Industries project, cites workforce work
Summary
Tomball's economic development staff updated council on recent outreach and business attraction efforts, including two planned sit‑down restaurants and a proposed multi‑phase CSCW Industries site that could bring hundreds of jobs in later phases; staff also flagged workforce coordination and a stakeholder interview process for Tomball Legacy Square.
Sue Kelly, an economic development representative, told the Tomball City Council at a special meeting on Oct. 6 that the city's economic development arm has been busy with regional outreach, awards and business‑retention work.
Kelly said the EDC attended the IEDC annual conference, where the city won multiple awards, and that the EDC will move from bimonthly to monthly meetings in 2026 to support rising workload. She said staff are forming a citizen stakeholder group and preparing recruitment materials for appointments expected in November.
Kelly highlighted two retail restaurant prospects — Cheddar's and Olive Garden — listed on the meeting packet as new sit‑down restaurants under consideration, and described business‑retention visits to Imperial Star Solar and a German manufacturer that has shortlisted Tomball for a site.
“We have a second site visit this week and are excited to tour them some buildings again,” Kelly said, calling the manufacturer's interest a positive sign for Tomball's industrial recruitment.
On a larger economic prospect, an EDC presenter described CSCW Industries as a multi‑phase, multi‑location project with phase 1 planned at about 150,000 square feet and roughly 300 full‑time jobs; the presenter said the project could reach up to about 1,100 jobs across later phases. The presenter said phase 1 would target occupancy in early 2027 if approvals proceed.
Councilmembers asked staff about workforce supports tied to those prospects. Kelly and other staff discussed coordinating with local colleges and temporary agencies to connect graduates and job seekers with employer needs; Tiffany, a staff member who hosted the Imperial Star visit, offered to help set up meetings and follow‑up site visits.
Kelly also reviewed progress on Tomball Legacy Square, including a potential short‑term location with Salem Lutheran Church for a childcare facility during church renovations, a feasibility consultant's site tour, and plans to conduct about 50 stakeholder interviews as part of the consultant's work.
The presenters asked council to suggest potential interview participants and said the EDC's stakeholder application and conflict‑of‑interest materials will be forwarded for board vetting and appointments next month.
The council offered brief questions and thanks; no formal action was taken. The EDC update closed with staff requests for direction on workforce outreach and an invitation for council to join facility tours and follow‑up meetings.
