Regency Centers is the preeminent national owner, operator, and developer of shopping centers located in affluent and densely populated trade areas. In 2015, the company was preparing to open a new mixed-use center in the heart of Jacksonville’s historic Brooklyn neighborhood.
The new center would be the first of several highly visible commercial projects to open in the neighborhood. As such, the company saw an opportunity to divert from its standard branding exercises and set a tone for others to follow.
We consulted the Jacksonville Historical Society and historian Wayne Wood to learn more about Brooklyn’s place in the city’s story. Our research led us to a new line of creative thinking. Long before Riverside Avenue was a bustling multi-lane thoroughfare, it was home to a trolley line that connected Downtown to Riverside.
By using the trolley line as a metaphor for the center’s ability to bring the community through shopping and dining, Brooklyn Station on Riverside could also connect the neighborhood’s history to its future.
Media coverage for the center’s opening exceeded the client’s expectations. The creative process behind the Brooklyn Station on Riverside brand has been implemented for Regency Centers’ other projects throughout the country.
2
Front-page stories from the opening
5
Broadcast networks covered the center’s opening day
130%
First-day sales at The Fresh Market were 30% higher than anticipated
