After a 1990 explosion left Houston's grain silos largely unused, Moody National planned a 17-acre development to turn the 132-foot structures into an artistic waterfall landmark

Moody National, a developer in Houston, plans to transform a forgotten relic into a landmark along the Katy Freeway.

A cluster of tall silos is being converted into the centerpiece of a new waterfall. These silos previously served as a storage hub for the region’s largest grain processors.

These 132-foot-tall concrete structures on Shadowdale Drive would be transformed into a structure similar to the Galleria’s Waterwall. This is part of Silo Village, a 17-acre mixed-use project near the intersection of Beltway 8 and Interstate 10.


Moody is the latest developer to repurpose Houston’s aging grain silos, following projects such as The Dryer in Katy and Sawyer Yards near Washington Avenue. Houston developers consider the city’s industrial past an asset. Such projects are part of a trend of industrial conversions that has been underway for over a decade.

“Adaptive reuse just brings a little character. It’s not just the suburban power centre, you’re bringing something that has a little bit of a different feel to it that sets it apart,” said Brett Moody, CEO of Moody National Companies.

Despite the site’s location in a high-growth corridor, little is known about its history. However, Harris County deed records and archival newspaper articles offer some clues.

Grain processor United Foods Inc. began assembling land near the site in the late 1950s, deed records show, and by 1963, grain storage facilities were present on the site.

Moody said, “If you were single in Houston in the ’80s or ’90s, you at least at one time or another took a date to the Galleria Waterwall. I’m hoping this will be the new Waterwall of the 2020s.”

“Since we purchased this parcel, the size of five downtown city blocks, we partnered with our design, development and construction team to find the most optimal integration of the silos as a significant feature of the development,” Moody said.

“We intend to cut pedestrian walkways through the silos themselves to allow guests to navigate from the retail on Westview to the retail on the ground floor of the Phase 2 structure, which will include a high-end multifamily, Silo Villas. We also plan a water feature within the silos, creating an active art installation set in the middle of the development. We view this parcel like a lady-in-waiting whose debut, after a decades-long wait, has finally arrived.”