In Instagram post, Tucson pizzeria calls off expansion plan

Empire Pizza and Pub appears to have stopped pursuing its planned expansion into the historic Hydra building at 147 E. Congress St. The restaurant’s owners said on Instagram that construction could not be completed because the project was blocked by historic preservation review.

The expansion, first planned in 2021, would have added 3,800 square feet to Empire’s existing 1,200 square feet. Plans called for changes to the Congress Street facade and a new patio. City officials said the plans expired in 2022, and no updated plans have been submitted.

Empire said it has paid its contractor $372,000 and more than $500,000 in rent for the unused building. Rio Nuevo agreed to reimburse up to $512,000 for the project and has provided $186,000 so far. The restaurant is scheduled to discuss extending its Rio Nuevo agreement at the board’s Aug. 11 meeting.

The posts came after the July 19 downtown shooting, when two people on Empire’s patio were hit by bullets. The restaurant also cited concerns about downtown cleanliness, security and weekend parking, and said it planned to open another location outside downtown without identifying where.