Marina Shopping Center Sold

Marina Shopping Center Sold
By Ben Antonius

SUISUN CITY - The oldest shopping center in Suisun City has been sold to a Redwood City-based group that is promising major renovations.

The Marina Shopping Center on the south side of Highway 12 has been owned by Suisun City-based Aldredge Enterprises for more than a decade. Last week, tenants were informed by owner Mike Aldredge that the property had been sold to Pellarin Enterprises, a group that specializes in shopping center renovations.

"I'm not 100 percent sure of what the improvements will be yet, but there will be some major improvements," Aaron Pellarin said Monday.

Pellarin said he wants to hear what neighbors and city officials would like done with the shopping center, which has numerous vacancies and has not seen significant improvements in years. He said one of the first tasks will be bringing in an anchor tenant.

"That would be a national chain of some sort - a grocery store, a hardware store, a discount store," he said.

The current group of tenants at the Marina Center includes a small bookstore, a convenience store, a karate studio, an Asian grocery store and several churches.

Tenants have previously complained that the shopping center is difficult to access. It has its own on- and off-ramp access to eastbound Highway 12, but westbound drivers have to take a circuitous route to reach the Marina Center.

Pellarin said he would like to construct "some type of landmark architecture" along Highway 12 to attract drivers. Depending on the feedback from the community, he said he would consider taking a mixed-use approach by including some residential units in the center.

Pellarin said escrow is expected to close Wednesday on the sale.

Aldredge could not be reached for comment and did not return messages left at his office and on his cell phone. The Aldredge Enterprises office in the shopping center was closed Monday.

There were no indications Aldredge was planning to sell the shopping center, said Richard Gwyn, owner of Appliance Parts and Equipment Distributors.

"None whatsoever," he said.

Marina Pizza owner Munther Saleh said he was not particularly concerned about the change of ownership.

"I have been here 11 years, this doesn't affect me," he said.

Saleh and Gwyn both spoke positively about Aldredge's management of the shopping center over the years.

"He's a good man," Saleh said. "He understands about business. I hope the new people do."

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.