The effort to convert a former meat-packing plant in the Heights into a nearly 5-acre mixed-use development is officially underway.

Radom Capital and Triten Real Estate Partners broke ground this week on their latest collaboration, which the Houston-based companies have dubbed The Swift BLDG. The name is an homage to the historic Swift & Co. Packing Plant, which will be transformed into the new development.

The site at 621 Waverly St. has several structures dating back to 1917 and 1953. The city of Houston has named the site a protected landmark, and the developers are pursuing both state and federal tax credits.

The redevelopment project was first announced last year.

The Swift BLDG project is next to M-K-T, the Landmark Award-winning mixed-use development the two companies teamed up to develop in 2021. The Swift BLDG also will be within walking distance of the heavily trafficked Heights Hike and Bike Trail.

“The Swift Building is a historic gem,” Eric Gustafson, construction manager at Radom Capital, said in a news release. “Our vision for the Swift Building is rooted in adaptive reuse — breathing new life into an iconic structure while modernizing it for today’s restaurants, offices, and retailers. This redevelopment reflects our commitment to blending heritage with forward-thinking design, ensuring it remains a cornerstone of the Heights’ identity.”

When it is completed next year, The Swift BLDG will offer more than 30,000 square feet of office space integrated with another 30,000 square feet of chef-driven restaurants, health and wellness users, and on-site parking, the companies said.

The project is expected to cost at least $10 million, according to a filing submitted to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation last year.

Radom and Triten said a number of tenants already have signed leases for space in the new development. Those unnamed tenants hail from the restaurant, dessert, fitness, wellness, beauty and office sectors.

Additionally, another 45% of the project is in lease negotiations. Only three retail spaces remain at the project, the companies said.

Retail leasing is being led by Barton Kelly and Sidney Whaley of Radom Capital. Office leasing for The Swift BLDG is being spearheaded by CBRE’s Bubba Harkins, Jenny Sealy and Nina Seyyedin.

The redevelopment project was designed by the Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. The firm also designed the M-K-T, Triten’s The Mill development in the East End and Radom Capital’s Montrose Collective in Montrose.

New York-based Elysium Construction will serve as general contractor. Origin Bank will provide construction lending.

"We’re thrilled to partner with Radom Capital on the redevelopment of the historic Swift Building,” Christopher Kuntz, a partner at Elysium Construction, said in the release. “This project is a rare opportunity to honor Houston’s architectural past while building for its future. The Swift BLDG will be a vibrant new chapter for the Heights. We’re proud to help bring it to life.”

Radom Capital's and Triten Real Estate Partners' other mixed-use projects
While Triten Real Estate Partners and Radom Capital are teaming up once again on The Swift BLDG, the two companies also have developed a number of successful mixed-use projects separately.

Last month, Radom Capital and Houston-based MetroNational broke ground on their first joint venture together, which will add a new community hub and retail center to Memorial City’s offerings.

Their new project, Greenside, will convert 35,000 square feet of warehouse space at 1085 Gessner Road into a retail center aimed at blending first-to-market retail, restaurant and service tenants, including wellness- and beauty-focused establishments.

The Greenside project will span across three formerly industrial buildings and will add about 1 acre of programmed green space and patios, MetroNational said.

The project was first announced in December.

Last year, Radom Capital announced plans to redevelop the one-time Tower Theater building, which was most recently the home of Acme Oyster House and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe before that, along with several surrounding buildings.

The renovation of the Tower Theater building, at 1201 Westheimer Road, as well as the properties at 1111 Westheimer, 3224 Yokum Drive and 3230 Yokum is intended to create a retail center catering to Montrose’s quirky nature, the company said.

The soon-to-be-updated retail center, which is being referred to as 1111 Westheimer, is just a few blocks down from Radom Capital’s Montrose Collective development at 888 Westheimer Road.

The $105 million Montrose Collective includes 100,000 square feet of office space, 50,000 square feet of retail space and 10,000 square feet of library space across a handful of buildings. The project broke ground in February 2020 and topped out in November 2020.

Triten Real Estate Partners, meanwhile, topped out on The Mill in September 2023.

Phase 1 of The Mill includes a seven-story apartment building with a retail component, dubbed The Mill Residences, at 2315 Navigation Blvd. At 334,218 square feet, it will have 341 multifamily units and more than 6,000 square feet of retail space.

A 145,368-square-foot, seven-story parking garage will provide parking on every unit floor and will serve as parking for retail and future phases of The Mill, Triten said.