The depot at the Katy Railroad Park, 5615 1st St., will soon be celebrating its 125th anniversary. The Katy City Council gave it a gift of sorts Monday.
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The depot at the Katy Railroad Park, 5615 1st St., will soon be celebrating its 125th anniversary. The Katy City Council gave it a gift of sorts Monday.
The council passed an ordinance that enables the Katy Heritage Society, which oversees the park where the depot sits, to make repairs—when necessary—that keep the building consistent with historical standards of that building and not necessarily to current city specifications. In this way, the society would maintain the historical integrity of the building.
The park consists of a caboose, owned by the society, and the MKT Depot Museum, owned by the city. Adrienne Davitz, Katy Heritage Society president, said the society owns and operates all of the artifacts in the museum.
Davitz said the ordinance enables the society to make simple updates “without messing it up” and that no changes were needed.
“It’s a very solid structure,” Davitz said. “Were just trying to look ahead.”
The society is looking ahead as it plans to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the depot. Davitz said the tentative celebration date is Jan. 14, 2023, but plans are still in the works.
“We have some really incredible things planned,” Davitz said. “Union Pacific Railroad and other large entities are wanting to make their debut in the Katy area. We want to be flexible in making the best decisions for the community.”
Davitz said sponsorships are still being sought. She said the society is compiling sponsorship packets for prospective sponsors.
Davitz said the society’s board has worked with Council Member-at-Large and Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris to write and pass the ordinance. The council passed a similar ordinance for Katy Heritage Park, 6001 George Bush Dr., last year.
The ordinance language for both parks is similar, but the ordinances themselves are separate in that if future changes are needed to one or the other park, those changes can more easily be made, City Attorney Art Pertile said.
Ward A Council Member Dan Smith endorsed the measure.
“Any time we can continue to take action to preserve these historical sites and make them safe for the public to enjoy is a wonderful thing,” Smith said.
The Heritage Society announced earlier this month that the park would have new hours. The park is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The park is closed Monday-Wednesday.
For more information on sponsoring the celebration, email the society at katyheritagesociety@outlook.com.