Crown Realty Partners just inked a deal with Imago Restaurants to bring the Duke of Cornwall pub to 400 University Ave next fall, and the firm is hoping it will help flip University Avenue’s reputation as a drab hospital corridor. Crown’s newly minted construction director, Rob Campbell, and project manager Nicole Pearce are pictured above where the 6k SF pub, with 80-seat patio, will be built. The deal was brokered by Ashlar Urban Realty’s Graham Smith and Brandon Gorman. Crown says it expects the pub to trigger other retail upgrades along University in the coming years.

Crown is at the tail end of its rejuvenation of 400 University (above). The ambitious $10M effort, led by Quadrangle Architects, involved replacing decades-old amenities, elevator cabs and lobby fixtures, as well as earning LEED Gold. But the bigger story was the installation of a new window and cladding system—done with tenants in place—which lowered energy use by 20%. The brighter glass helped attract nontraditional University tenants, like marketing firm ICF Olson and HOK Architects, both moving from King West, says Crown partner Scott Watson. Speaking of glass, they can all raise one next fall at the Duke.