The former Swift and Co. building, located in Houston’s bustling Heights neighborhood, is set to be transformed into a 4.47-acre mixed-use development.  Expected to begin construction later this year, the development, dubbed the Swift Building, will encompass over 60,000 square feet dedicated to retail, office and restaurant space, all overlooking the popular Heights Hike-and-Bike Trail nearby. According to the Houston Chronicle, Random Capital and Triten Real Estate, the developers behind the initiative, will also enhance pedestrian accessibility to the building by revitalizing the surrounding green space and introducing new entry pathways.   Click to expand Originally established in 1917 as a cottonseed oil refinery, the century-old building later transitioned into one of the region's largest meatpacking facilities during the 1950s, courtesy of Swift and Co. In a bid to safeguard its rich history, the developers are pursuing a historic designation for the building. Anticipated for completion in 2025, the development aims to welcome restaurants within the same year.  This isn't the first revitalization project for this development duo. They previously spearheaded the M-K-T development in the Heights, where they transformed five historic industrial buildings into a vibrant 4-acre mixed-use complex that now boasts 30 restaurant and merchant vendors.  “Swift is a natural extension of our shared vision for M-K-T. Rather than tear down an important symbol of Houston’s — and the Heights' — past, we instead want to embrace its character and repurpose it into a truly unique community amenity and experience,” Scott Arnoldy, founder of Triten Real Estate Partners told the Houston Chronicle.  Click to expand Meanwhile, the developers are concurrently advancing their efforts to revitalize aging structures throughout Houston independently. Random Capital recently unveiled plans to renovate the Tower Theater building, formerly housing Acme Oyster House, along with several neighboring buildings in Montrose, into a pedestrian-friendly retail center. Dubbed 1111 Westheimer, the project will span 35,000 square feet and is slated to commence construction this summer, targeting completion by 2025.  Click to expand Additionally, Triten Real Estate is progressing with its latest project, The Mill, a mixed-use development situated in Houston's East End. The project aims to convert a former industrial lumber mill site into a vibrant mixed-use complex. The initial phase includes 341 multifamily units and over 6,000 square feet of retail space. Subsequent phases will introduce a seven-story parking garage spanning 145,368 square feet.  Discover more about living in Houston. 

Houston experienced significant economic resilience and growth amidst looming concerns of a recession. Despite slowdowns across sectors, the Bayou City continued to create jobs, adding 53,700 in the first 10 months of ’23, according to the Partnership’s Houston Region Economic Outlook report. While the real estate market faced challenges, the greater Houston region saw many dynamic projects come to life, including the opening of Helix Park, the Texas Medical Center’s first phase of its new 37-acre campus.  Looking ahead, here are a few developments that will impact Houston’s economy in 2024.  Arco Del Tiempo Serving as the centerpiece in Houston’s East End Guadalupe Plaza Park, Arco Del Tiempo is a new environmentally sustainable art installation aiming to advance the region’s transition to an energy abundant future. Standing at a 100-feet tall, Arco Del Tiempo will not only generate power for the nearby City-owned Latino multicultural performing arts theater, Talento Bilingüe de Houston, but it also will offer a gathering space for the community. Arco Del Tiempo is set to be installed in 2024.  Click to expand Austin Point Austin Point is a first-of-its-kind 4,700-acre master-planned town that will feature 1,600 acres of mixed-use commercial development space and a walkable downtown area with hospitals, life sciences labs and corporate headquarters. The first phase of the development will include The 1824, a central park and community center with a café, wine bar, large front porch, an event lawn, children's play area, beer garden, food truck court, walking trails and a dedicated space for outdoor fitness activities and games.   Autry Park Spanning 14-acres in Montrose, Autry Park is an urban village designed to increase connectivity and walkability to food, entertainment, retail and living in the area. The project's first phase includes two apartment buildings, Hanover Autry Park, a 24-story apartment tower with 324 units, and Hanover Parkview, an eight-story mid-rise with 421 units, both have already opened. Phase two is projected to open at the end of 2024 with additional commercial tenants and retail space. BioHub II at Generation Park Generation Park, Northeast Houston’s massive commercial development, is set to open its new state-of-the-art, 45-acre biomanufacturing hub – BioHub II this year. The new master-planned campus will include 500,000 square feet for cGMP manufacturing, lab and office space and house the biomanufacturing workforce institute that will offer certificate coursework in bioprocessing to students, further expanding the region’s life sciences ecosystem and workforce.  Click to expand East Blocks  A redevelopment project led by Houston-based Pagewood and Wile Interests aims to transform former warehouses in EaDo into a walkable 10-block mixed-use district. East Blocks is expected to break ground in the second quarter of 2024 and will encompass 513,000 square feet southwest of Shell Energy Stadium. Phase one will include a unique blend of restaurants, shops, office and green space and will include existing tenants 8th Wonder Brewery and Pitch 25, while phase two will focus on additional retail and restaurant space. The Allen The Allen, a sophisticated new mixed-use development is currently underway in Houston’s Allen Parkway corridor. The first phase, The Residences at The Allen, includes the development of a $290 million, 35-story skyscraper that towers over Buffalo Bayou Park. The stylish new building offers luxury condos, high-rise penthouses and a sleek 170-room Hotel – the Thompson, which opened earlier this year. Phase II of The Allen is anticipated to break ground in early 2024 and will include more retail and restaurant space and luxury multi-family living.  Click to expand The Commons at Hermann Park Hermann Park is changing the game for green spaces in the Houston area with its new groundbreaking 26-acre development – The Commons. Slated to open to the public this week, The Commons aims to revolutionize the beloved park with a unique collection of play areas, including an immersive space-themed area and a life-sized carousel. The commons also features many new gathering spaces including a Central Lawn and the Live Oak Terrace.  The Houston Astros Entertainment District  The Houston Astros expect to break ground on a new entertainment district adjacent to Minute Maid Park in Nov. 2024 The district will feature a 17-story hotel, 60,000 square feet of retail space for restaurants and shops and a three-level gathering area for fans to watch Astros games and other major sporting events on a massive outdoor screen. The venue will also host live music performances. The Grand at 249 Situated at the corner of the Grand Parkway-Highway 249 intersection, the groundbreaking 65-acre retail center dubbed The Grand at 249 will span 404,256 square feet in Tomball, making it the largest retail concentration within Houston's northwest submarket. Slated for completion in 2025, The Grand at 249 will boast 12 pad sites and include tenants such as AT&T, Boomer Jack's, Gringo's, Jersey Mike's, Milano Nails and Two Pho Nine Asian Fusion.   Learn more about why businesses are choosing Houston and what it means to live, work and play in the Bayou City.