Empire Pizza and Pub appears to no longer be pursuing plans to expand into the Hydra building on East Congress Street, a plan the owners initiated in 2021 and one that Rio Nuevo agreed to support with more than $500,000.
In a social media post Thursday, the owners said they “cannot finish the construction because we are blocked by historic review,” referring to the requirement that the city’s Historic Preservation Office review the plans. The Hydra building at 147 E. Congress, which dates back to 1906, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Empire Pizza’s Instagram comments about the expansion project came four days into its days-long string of posts following the early-morning July 19 shooting on Congress Street. Two of the nine victims were struck by bullets while they were on the restaurant’s patio, according to Empire.
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Empire, at 137 E. Congress, had planned to add 3,800 square feet to its existing 1,200 square feet with the expansion into Hydra. Plans included aligning the Hydra facade facing Congress Street with Empire Pizza’s and converting some existing interior space into a patio, according to plans filed with the city in 2021.
Nick Ross, a Planning Department zoning section manager, said those plans expired in 2022. Ross said Empire has not submitted any follow-up plans.
Empire Pizza and Pub had planned to expand into the Hydra building next door on East Congress Street. Those plans appear now be off, according to the restaurant’s social media posts.
Empire Pizza owner David Furmanski, in a string of text messages Friday with the Star, refused to say if his Instagram post meant the expansion plans are off.
"Have a blessed day," he responded to the direct question, after referring a reporter to his Instagram posts.
Empire, which opened in 2010, applied for Rio Nuevo funding in 2023. According to an agreement signed by Furmanski and co-owner Thomas A. Browne, Empire was expected to invest $1.02 million in the renovation and expansion; Rio Nuevo, the public tax district behind downtown Tucson redevelopment, agreed to provide $512,000 in cost reimbursement.
According to Empire’s Instagram post Thursday, the restaurant to date has paid its general contractor $372,000; Rio Nuevo had reimbursed the restaurant $186,000, according to the post and confirmed by Rio Nuevo Board Chairman Fletcher McCusker.
The owners also noted in the post that they had paid more than $500,000 in rent for the building “to sit empty while our progress is blocked.”
McCusker said Empire is on the Rio Nuevo Aug. 11 agenda to discuss extending its agreement, set to expire in September.
Empire Pizza's Instagram posts this week included an initial message expressing concern for the victims of Sunday's shooting, followed by posts focused on problems the restaurant owners see downtown, including illicit drug use, vomit, urine and feces in the alleys, and unarmed security guards.
The posts also took aim at the city charging for metered parking on weekends that discourages people from coming downtown. One post said Empire planned to “open another location away from downtown.” It did not give the location.
In Sunday's shooting, David Leroy French, 21, is accused of opening fire into a crowd near East Congress and North Sixth Avenue after an argument between two groups at about 2 a.m., police have said. The incident left 10 people injured, including French, who was shot by an officer, police said.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Bluesky @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
