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For Katy-area parents juggling school schedules, sports and family life, swim lessons may soon become a little more convenient. Big Blue Swim School is planning a new children’s swim school at Katy Lakes Shopping Center, 24909 FM 529, Suite 300, in Katy, according to a state construction filing.

The project calls for a 6,964-square-foot interior build-out of an existing tenant space, with an estimated construction cost of $1.9 million. Plans include carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC work needed to transform the space into a swim school.

Construction is listed as beginning Aug. 3, 2026, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 21, 2027. Those dates refer to the construction schedule and do not necessarily represent an opening date; Big Blue Swim School has not yet listed the FM 529 location on its public locations page.

For families in the growing FM 529 corridor, however, the filing points to another kid-focused business taking shape alongside the area's continuing residential and retail expansion.

A Second Big Blue Swim School for the Katy Area

Big Blue already operates a Katy swim school at 29907 Jordan Crossing Blvd., near the western side of the Katy area. The company's current Texas locations also include Allen, Austin, Frisco, Plano and Richmond-Aliana, according to Big Blue's website.

That makes the planned Katy Lakes facility particularly notable for families living north of Interstate 10 and near communities along FM 529, where a location closer to home could shorten the drive for weekly children's swim lessons.

The larger Katy Lakes retail development itself has been taking shape over the past year. A separate Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing for retail shell buildings at 24909 and 24919 FM 529 described more than 20,000 square feet of new construction at the site, with work originally scheduled from September 2025 through April 2026. 

What Is Big Blue Swim School?

Big Blue Swim School traces its roots to Illinois, where competitive swimmer Chris DeJong founded the company in 2009 after beginning plans for the concept a year earlier. The first program operated from a pool in Glenview, Illinois, followed by the company's first standalone swim school in Wilmette in 2012. Big Blue began franchising in 2018 and has since expanded into markets across the country.

DeJong was a U.S. National Champion swimmer, and the company says that competitive swimming background helped shape a curriculum focused on measurable progress rather than simply moving children through classes based on age or time enrolled.

That approach is organized around four primary program groups — Baby Blue for children ages 0-2, Bright Blue for ages 3-5, Bold Blue for ages 6 and older and Big Blue for more advanced swimmers ages 6 and older — with skill progression occurring within those broader levels. The company's website describes a 10-level progress system designed to build water safety, swimming ability and confidence over time.

How Big Blue Swim Lessons Work

Rather than operating primarily in short seasonal sessions, Big Blue generally schedules children into a recurring weekly lesson at the same day and time, allowing families to begin throughout the year and children to work consistently toward their next skill level. The company also offers make-up lessons and additional drop-in classes through its scheduling system.

Class sizes are intentionally kept small, according to Big Blue, while its LessonBuddy platform and mobile app allow parents to schedule lessons and follow their child's progress. The company says instructors receive more than 75 hours of training, and its facilities typically feature indoor pools heated to about 90 degrees, parent viewing areas and flooring designed for wet environments.

Big Blue also advertises adaptive swim instruction and adult lessons at the company level, although programs and schedules have not yet been announced for the planned Katy Lakes location.

For parents searching for kids swim lessons in Katy, toddler swim lessons near FM 529, indoor swimming lessons in Katy or year-round swim schools near north Katy, the new location would add another option in a part of the community where new neighborhoods, schools and retail centers continue to bring more families into the area.

What Happens Next at Katy Lakes Shopping Center?

For now, the project remains one to watch. The state filing gives an estimated construction completion date of Jan. 21, 2027, but a formal opening date, enrollment schedule, lesson pricing and local contact information have not yet been announced.

If the project proceeds according to the filing, Katy Lakes Shopping Center will eventually gain a purpose-built indoor children's swim school — and north Katy families may gain a considerably closer place for one of those childhood skills that tends to matter well beyond the pool.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates as Big Blue Swim School's new Katy Lakes location moves closer to opening.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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