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Developer Andrew M. Choy was the Founder and original developer of Lake Olympia,
a 1,000 acre prestigious planned community in the suburb of Houston, Fort Bend County,
Texas. Choy's group purchased 1,000 acres of scenic land in 1982 which was known as
the Palmer Plantation, previously owned by Judge
Palmer's family and heirs for over 100 years. The land was very rich in Texas history.
It was one of the first 300 land grants by Stephen F. Austin in 1824. In 1865, all the
slaves in Fort Bend County were declared freedom under a huge magnificent live oak tree
in this plantation. The slaves celebrated under this tree for months and they named the
tree "The Freedom Tree". The book
"Freedom Tree" was written by the late Edward Palmer.
Today, under Choy's "Master planned by nature"
unique concept, giant oaks, wild lives, and 130 acres of sparkling lakes still remain. The
Freedom Tree and an abundance of nature areas are
un-touched and well preserved.
After two years of planning, permitting and construction, Lake Olympia was officially
opened to the public in April 1984. A grand opening Luau gala was held on site, attended
by hundreds of celebrities and dignities. It was possibly the biggest thing ever happened
in Missouri City at the time. There was a waiting list of fine builders wanting to be a part
of Lake Olympia. In 1987 and 1988, Choy hosted the Missouri City Balloon Festivals in
Lake Olympia. Colorful hot air balloons were flying all over Lake Olympia, including
Lake Olympia's own hot air balloon. The Festival, attended by an estimated crowd of
over 70,000 people in 1988, featured live performances, fireworks, laser shows, and
carnival games. Most importantly, the Festivals were held during the deep recession
years in the Houston area. Lake Olympia gave citizens of Fort Bend & Harris Counties,
City of Houston and Missouri City something to cheer and helped ease the pain from
massive layoffs and foreclosures. In fact, Lake Olympia was only one of a handful of
real estate developments that survived the great depression and weathered the storm
well. Choy sold the development company to a foreign investor in 1997 who also owned
the majority interest in Sienna Plantation. In March 2002, the investor passed away,
and his family closed all U.S. operations in 2003.
Lake Olympia was presented by the National Association of Home Builders the highest
Gold MIRM Award for the "Best Overall Marketed Project" in the nation, as well as
numerous other industry awards from Texas Association of Builders and Greater
Houston Builders Association. Over the years, numerous national and world renowned
celebrities have called Lake Olympia home. Most notable celebrity residents include
the world's top female pop singer, Beyonce Knowles and her Destiny's Child's singers,
NFL Hall of Framer Warren Moon, NFL coach Jack Pardee and well known quarterback
Chris Chandler, many other NFL, NBA and Major League players, coaches, television
celebrities, etc.
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