The second phase of Centurion Union Center is home to 75 apartments and some 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. — Courtesy: Landmark
By Joshua Burd
A host of retail tenants are coming to a new luxury apartment building in downtown Union, helping to fill the latest available ground-floor space at the multiphase development.
According to Landmark, the developer of what’s known as Centurion Union Center, a new 1,824-square-foot Unity Bank branch will anchor the space at the base of 945 Stuyvesant Ave. The lender recently opened the new location, giving way to another five leases that the builder announced last week:
- Emily’s Bakery, the popular downtown Portuguese bakery, signed a 10-year, 1,957-square-foot commitment.
- Qsina 8, a Ramen noodle and Asian-themed restaurant, signed a five-year lease for 1,658 square feet.
- Illusions Hair signed a five-year lease for a new 1,411-square-foot salon.
- Norma’s Florist committed to 1,074 square feet for a term of five years.
- Angie’s Nails signed a 10-year, 1,562-square-foot lease.
“Many of these retailers are staples of downtown Union that have been operating in aging retail space adjacent to Centurion Union Center,” said Manny Fernandez, Landmark’s founder. “Qsina 8 is a brand-new eatery and we’re incredibly excited they’ve decided to introduce their dining concept to the community in this building. We look forward to welcoming all these retailers to Centurion and are confident they’ve found a home where they flourish in a reimagined Union Center.”
Available retail space in Centurion’s second phase, a 75-unit apartment building, is now fully leased. And the milestone comes as the developer has nearly rented up the collection of one- and two-bedroom homes, which feature upscale design and a host of amenity spaces.
Local officials joined Landmark and representatives of Unity Bank in October to mark the opening of the commercial space.
“We decided to relocate our Union branch to Centurion because it was a great opportunity to be a prominent part of the beautiful facility Landmark has created in Union Center,” Unity Bank CEO and President James A. Hughes said. “The new 1,800-square-foot branch provides a larger, contemporary facility with the space for enhanced services. Our branch had been located directly across the street from Centurion so it was a fantastic opportunity to create a better banking experience for customers right in the same neighborhood while supporting an important community redevelopment initiative.”
Centurion, which is helping to redevelop the township’s Stuyvesant Avenue corridor, is slated to include nearly 300 apartments and 27,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space at full build-out.
“Centurion Union Center provided the opportunity to significantly upgrade our space, while maintaining a location that our customer base is already familiar with,” said Angie Lee, owner of Angie’s Nails. “At Centurion, we will be well positioned to not only better serve our existing clients, but also grow our business by relocating to a residential building with direct access to a large pool of potential new customers. It’s a great building and we are delighted to unveil our new salon.”
The salon is among several established operators in the area that will relocate or expand into Centurion.
“We chose Centurion in Union because we love this location and the community around it. Centurion is providing our hometown with beautiful new apartments and retail spaces for the people,” said Israel Maldonado, owner of Norma’s Flowers. “Our new location is perfect for our florist shop. We are happy to be a part of this location and better serve our community. We want to continue to be everyone’s go-to florist and provide flower arrangements and services for the new residents at Centurion. Flowers are an important part of many people’s lives, and we are here to offer a unique shopping experience for everyone.”
Leasing underway at second phase of new apartments in Union Township