Saint John’s Brunswick Square has experienced a lot of uncertainty in recent times, from growing vacancies to being put up for sale.
Now, efforts are underway to revitalize and reimagine what was once a key destination for shopping, dining and business.
The owners, Slate Office, have undergone a strategic restructuring and have emerged under the new name Ravelin Properties.
A new leasing team from Cushman & Wakefield Atlantic have also been brought in to help lead the change.
Stephanie Turner, associate vice president at Cushman & Wakefield, said she is excited to be involved.
“I’m very passionate about uptown Saint John and I’m very optimistic about Brunswick Square and its potential,” Turner said in an interview.
“I’ve been sad to see that it’s had some vacancy, and I think that I can make a difference.”
Vacancies abound for retail, office space
Brunswick Square is made up of a three-storey shopping centre, a 250-room Delta hotel, a 19-storey office tower and a nine-storey parking garage with around 730 spaces.
Built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it accounts for most of the city block between Union Street, King Street, Chipman Hill and Germain Street.
Brunswick Square has struggled to attract and retain tenants in recent years. Figures from early 2024 showed a vacancy rate of around 48 per cent in the shopping centre and 45 per cent in the office tower.
“The building was for sale, and so there was some uncertainty as to whether there was interest in leasing, but that has all changed,” said Turner.
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As part of the restructuring, Ravelin’s overhead has been reduced, which Turner said means they can be “more aggressive” in offering deals to tenants.
She noted they have already had several showings since they launched their marketing campaign over the past few weeks.
“The marketing seems to be working, and people are starting to take notice that the landlord is open for business and wants to do deals, and we’re hoping this will snowball,” said Turner.
Potential uses beyond retail
Turner said their focus will be on filling vacancies in the office tower, as well as in the pedway and lower levels on the retail side.
At this point, she said, they do not have any plans to focus on the third level of the mall, noting most of the foot traffic is on the pedway and lower levels.
“The third level may get reinvented someday. Hard to say what it might be. Could be a medical centre, could be something completely different,” added Turner.
She also noted they are looking at other potential uses for the vacant mall space beyond retail, such as entertainment.
Dots Event Planning recently secured a lease on the pedway level, which will include a children’s entertainment hub.
“We’re open to any creative idea. It doesn’t have to be a traditional retail store,” said Turner.
