The tables at the once vibrant food court in Brunswick Square were empty Wednesday morning. In recent years, one by one, businesses have left the mall in Uptown Saint John, and now another one of those businesses – Pizza Hut – is on the move.
Tourism from cruise ships plus the busy lunch rush by students of a nearby school have helped keep Brunswick Square afloat. The building housed more than 60 businesses in 2012, but that number is now somewhere in the low 20s, with nearly 40 storefronts vacant in the mall.
In a statement to Global News, the owner-operator said they’ve been working with the City of Saint John to revitalize the space.
“We have generated positive leasing momentum at Brunswick Square: ARC Clean Energy expanded its presence within Brunswick Square; we welcomed Envision Saint John, the economic development entity dedicated to propelling growth for the Greater Saint John region, as a tenant in Brunswick Square; we finalized leasing terms with Let’s Hummus Food Inc. to move into a retail unit within the mall; and in June, Cooke Aquaculture moved into 11,000 square feet of space in the Brunswick Square Office Tower,” said Karolina Kmiecik from Slate Asset Management.
“We remain encouraged by the reopening momentum we’ve seen in the region to date – utilization rates are up, and many businesses are opening their doors once again.”
Former City of Saint John Mayor Don Darling posted to Twitter saying Brunswick Square had felt “neglect” and that Slate hasn’t followed up with the City of Saint John.
Slate noted in a news release on Oct. 25 that it has launched a comprehensive review of “strategic alternatives” and that they’ll look to other partners during the review. They also said a special committee will look into “acquisitions, divestments (and) corporate transaction.”
Retail analyst Bruce Winder said that many malls across Canada have already started to see changes, one of the biggest being the West Edmonton Mall, which has added a car dealership to the retail space.
“Malls have changed, the tenants have changed. It used to be stores, and there are still stores, but there are all kinds of services, including dentists, tutoring, massage and wellness. Some malls are looking at that space and saying, ‘Hey, lets put in car detailing.'”
He said that many stores shifted to e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic and then switched back to the hybrid model we see today.
Outside Brunswick Square, students who went to the mall for a slice of pizza contemplated where they would go next week after Pizza Hut closes its doors for good this weekend.
Many students said that since McDonald’s left nearly two years ago, the mall hasn’t been the same, and they’re quickly running out of options for a place to get a bite to eat during lunchtime.
Longtime shoppers used the word “sad” or “depressing” when describing what the inside of the mall looks like now.
Pizza Hut Manager Cindy Lockhart said she’s looking forward to opening their new location on Rothesay Avenue, but, the tenant since 1987 said that a lot has changed over the years at the mall and that she will carry memories of the thousands she served over the years.