A historic warehouse complex in the Heights is about to transform into a 4.4-acre mixed-use development that will add even more trendy retail to an already thriving corridor along a popular trail.

Radom Capital and Triten Real Estate, the development team behind M-K-T in the Heights, have broken ground on the Swift BLDG, a 60,000-square-foot adaptive reuse of the former Swift and Co. refinery complex at 621 Waverly.

Developers aim to convert the decaying brick buildings into a vibrant neighborhood hub filled with retail, multiple patio restaurants and several small creative offices lining the Heights Hike-and-Bike Trail.

Similar to the neighboring M-K-T project, plans for the Swift also include revamped greenspace along the trail, with landscaping and pathways aimed at inviting pedestrians into the project.

Pre-leasing activity has been strong since Radom and Triten announced the project last spring, said Barton Kelly, vice president at Radom Capital.

“The traction has been awesome; if we lease everything that we have deals working right now, we’d be almost full,” Kelly said.

Retail tenants committed thus far to the project include an undisclosed local Houston restaurant operator, an ice cream shop, a wellness spa and a fitness studio, he said. On the office side, a real estate investment firm and medical spa have inked leases in the Swift. Developers also said they are in talks with a prospective coffee shop and additional office users.

Crews have started to demolish and abate some of the buildings. Contractor Elysium Construction is expected to wrap construction by the second quarter 2026, with tenants opening about four to six months after, Kelly said.

Developers are pursuing state and federal historic tax credits for the Swift after gaining approval from the Texas Historical Commission as an eligible building last month, according to Radom. The city also designated the site as protected landmark last year.

The Swift complex started as a cottonseed oil refinery in 1917. Swift and Co. announced plans the early 1950s to convert the site into what was said to be the largest meatpacking facility in the South at the time, capable of processing 1 million pounds of meat weekly, according to National Register of Historic Places documents.