[6][7][8] The plan contained commercial and office space; restaurants and event areas; and a publicly accessible central passageway, courtyard, and rooftop.

[10] The ground floor was lowered several inches to integrate more smoothly with the rest of the park, but since the buildings are located directly on the waterfront, this makes them vulnerable to flooding during a storm surge.

As a result, deployable flood barriers were purchased for Empire Stores, and the complex includes transformers on the seventh floor and a backup power generator.

[9][12] Other future tenants included the area restaurant Vinegar Hill House,[13] the watchmaker Shinola,[14] a beer garden on the roof,[15] and several other eateries.

[20] Upon the opening of other shops, Empire Stores' waterfront location quickly became a popular spot for selfies, especially those with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.