The Bad News Keeps Coming for Unity Plaza

Just a few weeks ago, we wrote about Unity Plaza and its struggles to draw in foot traffic – and to keep tenants for its retail spaces.

Unfortunately, things have not gotten better since then.

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, the last tenant that was still open in the plaza, has now closed its doors for good. On the front doors of their unit, they left a note thanking the Brooklyn neighborhood and expressing positive feelings toward Unity Plaza, which they believe can still prosper.

Now, out of over 15,000 square feet of retail space below 220 Riverside, zero is being used for tenants that are open to the public. 220 Riverside’s fitness center and HOBNOB’s remaining private-event-only space are the only units being used at all.

The original developer of 220 Riverside and Unity Plaza, NAI Hallmark, no longer even owns the retail space. It was turned over to the bank late last year, and is now owned by CRE Properties.

The loss of its last remaining open tenant is another huge blow to Unity Plaza, which had big expectations when it opened but has largely failed to deliver on any of those expectations.

It also marks Brixx Pizza’s exit from the Jacksonville – and Florida – market. It wasn’t a bad pizza place; we even did a review of it. But it didn’t quite match the personality of the neighborhood, and the lack of foot traffic to Unity Plaza didn’t do it any favors.

Now, the new owners of this now-vacant shopping strip must find a way to bring in new, relevant tenants – for their own sake, and for the sake of Unity Plaza’s long-term survival.