An EaDo Preservation Story For the Ages — Inside The Heroic Revival of 2910 McKinney

Developer Shon Link and architect Kelie Mayfield share a first look at the transformation of a 75-year-old, 65,500-square-foot industrial structure in East Downtown into an innovative destination for design, art, culinary and craft. Catherine D. Anspon takes us inside one of the most exciting Houston preservation projects of the decade.

If buildings bear an imprint of their past, 2910 McKinney’s narrative, reflective of its location in Houston’s once gritty EaDo neighborhood, would be told in tangibles: paint and home goods, printing, office furniture, sandpaper and grinding. Now the structure’s latest chapter —thanks to developer Shon Link and architect Kelie Mayfield, his tenant and curatorial advisor — is more glamorous, even as it nods to the mid-century warehouse’s manufacturing history.

Cue the coming of design, architecture and art to 2910 McKinney.

We’ve tracked this project for 15 months, beginning with Mayfield’s invitation to visit 2910 McKinney in August of 2023. But the idea to acquire the building, as well as the developer and the architect’s own history, dates back years earlier.

“Shon and I first connected in 2013,” Mayfield says. “While Shon was [VP of development] with Midway, we had the opportunity to collaborate on several projects, including Avenue Grove, The George Hotel, St. Andrie, 100 Park multifamily, and a variety of other developments.

“Shon reached out to me about 2910 McKinney in 2018, before he purchased the building. He was eager to get my thoughts on the space, and naturally, I fell in love with the building’s incredible structure and potential.”

The project was not easy, requiring a staunch fiscal and time commitment. Link closed on 2910 McKinney in the spring of 2020, when COVID-19 was shutting down most of the world.

“We purchased the property during a time that was specifically challenging,” Link says. “As creative groups experienced a period of disconnection, collaboration suffered. But we are now experiencing a resurgence in demand for unique and amenity-rich creative spaces.”

During the tours for this story, almost 11 months apart, we watched 2910 McKinney morph from a hulking behemoth whose bricked-over windows gave the appearance of a doomsday fortress to the welcoming space shown in these images. When the new showroom and maker’s space opens its restored doors this fall, design, fashion and art seekers will experience a light-filled, brick-and-concrete space whose soaring interiors, distinguished by pristinely restored cement pillars and ceilings (most noticeably on the vast expanse of its second floor), would provoke envy in Tadao Ando.

One entity at 2910 McKinney just had a soft opening. Magpies & Peacocks, a sustainable nonprofit devoted to fashion, and its fundraising coffee shop, MAKR Cafe, both of which are already welcoming shoppers Tuesdays through Saturdays.

“In our new space,” Magpies’ Ahshia Berry says, “the retail and production areas are nestled into the really cool original 1,000-square-foot brick room toward the front of the building, with an elevated capsule retail area that showcases the nonprofit’s upcycled wearable couture clothing and a display of jewelry and accessories as you enter.”

Inside 2910 McKinney

Link points out that the Magpies & Peacocks barista spot, now brewing Houston’s small-batch roaster Zeppelin Coffee, was once an area where industrial sandpaper and grinding wheels were hawked. He traced the building’s arc of ownership for us, including its most interesting chapter — the original one. Built in 1949, the two-story rock-solid edifice was headquarters for a storied, now defunct American paint brand founded after the Civil War in Louisville, Peaslee-Gaulbert Corporation. The building served as the firm’s Houston flagship showroom and sales center for its line of Pee Gee Paints and home goods, as well as the company’s distribution warehouse. 

Despite his pivotal role in purchasing and meticulously restoring 2910 McKinney over a five-year period, Link demurred from being photographed. But he did share his vision.

“We knew that the building had good bones — bones worth preserving,” Link says.”This type of space is rare in Houston, and we believe in its potential to establish a community of creative groups. More importantly, we believe in the EaDo community, its history, and the importance of maintaining a critical part of its fabric. 2910 McKinney is both opportunity and responsibility.”

Tapping Mayfield as collaborator for Link’s showroom-meets-maker’s space turned out to be key to realizing this fresh chapter in the life of 2910 McKinney. Functioning as curator, Mayfield notes that “The most challenging aspect of the project was carefully selecting the right mix of tenants to create a collaborative design ecosystem — one where each business could not only thrive individually but also support and elevate one another.”

The result redefines design in Texas via its unexpected pairings. Houston-founded creatives such as Magpies & Peacocks are in the same design center as international luminaries including Barcelona-based Nanimarquina handmade rugs. Houston design-resource Branch — which represents an acclaimed collection of flooring, textiles, furniture and accessories including Kyle Bunting’s handcrafted hair-hide rugs — is presented alongside Swedish-based Henzel Studio rugs, famed for its collaborations with contemporary artists ranging from Marilyn Minter to The Andy Warhol Foundation.

A Maker’s Space + More

Mayfield recently revealed the tenant list for 2910 McKinney phase one, which is expected to be completed and open for retail any day now. Meanwhile, her own firm, MaRS Culture, occupies a prime first-floor corner space, with a bank of windows looking out upon the thriving streetscape of EaDo.

“MaRS is preparing to unveil a new showroom concept — MaRS Mercantile — and we are in talks with artists such as Susan Plum, Gabriel Ayala (represented by Miguel Hernandez), and Brandon Mike,” she says. “We’re also collaborating with emerging brands like Living Century Home, established names like Stellar Works and Henzel Studio, and other creative talents, including floral designers In Bloom and Holly Grail Flower Company.

“We’ll use our lobby as a pop-up flower shop. Beyond that, we’re excited to see what new initiatives and concepts will emerge.”

Look for a rebranding announcement from MaRS in early 2025.

“The move to 2910 McKinney from Greenway Plaza signals an exciting new chapter for MaRS Culture and MaRS Mercantile,” Mayfield says. “Houston is ready for a design collective that not only transforms the experience for clients but also brings together artists, craftsmen and makers in a truly collaborative environment.”

Mayfield’s respected and avant-garde architecture studio, founded in 2010, boasts recent projects in Denver and Nashville, as well as Houston and Dallas — areas where Hines is among the firm’s clients. Her firm’s star is ascendant. MaRS is known for commissioning artists and craftsmen for commercial and residential interiors informed by an aesthetic that values art, wit, beauty, the organic and the handmade. The boutique George Hotel in College Station and the 2024 PaperCity Design Award-winning Remy on the Trails are both calling cards.

“We have always worked closely with creatives to strengthen storytelling and brand identity in our projects, and this space allows us to elevate that collaboration even further,” Mayfield says. Of the reborn industrial building, she adds: “We are pushing boundaries and redefining how architecture, design, showrooms, and galleries come together.”

Mayfield then rattles off the list of other tenants at 2910 McKinney, from the global to the local, including Judson Design, Ege Carpets, Bloomsburg Carpets, Vesper Art Collective, Link’s firm Local Partners, and emerging Texas ceramic artist Kylie Nicole, who’s now in Maison & Objets’ 1000 Vases, thanks to Mayfield. On the culinary side, Kraftsman Baking does all its artisan bread and pastry production out of a wing of the building, and neighborhood watering hole Nickel City, which has its own McKinney Street entrance, is the spot for a cold one, craft cocktails and classic bar food.

For Mayfield, 2910 McKinney serves as muse for reimagining a union of the creative arts towards fostering a new design-focused economy — a 21st-century version of a concept espoused by British Arts & Crafts leader William Morris. She looks forward to growing a vibrant community of creatives, with collaborations that bring together visionaries and trailblazers.

“2910 McKinney has a rich history within the design industry, having housed everything from paint distribution and furniture showrooms to a letterpress company, and a sandpaper distributing operation,” Mayfield says. “Now, this 65,500-square-foot industrial warehouse has been revitalized into a vibrant mixed-use destination that engages all the senses through architecture, art, design and culinary experiences.”

Read more about Kelie Mayfield’s firm here. Follow news about 2910 McKinney on MaRS Culture’s Instagram @marsculture_.