The town of Carefree approved a contract June 2, at the town council meeting, to redevelop Los Portales Mall in Village Center, 99 Easy Street.
The redevelopment project, known as Orchard Street Market, encompasses 18,200 square feet of building and aims turn the mall into a fresh food market.
Developers Ken and Sharon Aulicino have searched for an opportunity like this for many years.
“This is really a passion project,” Ken said. “Having the opportunity to do what we’re doing here today is, you know, definitely a turn towards something smaller, something more personal. And for us, something that’s really even more meaningful.”
There were three reasons why they chose this location in Carefree, Ken said.
The first is the building itself.
“We think that this building has a tremendous amount of history, it’s got a lot of character, and it honestly has got some great bones that we think need to be redeveloped and restored,” he said. “Everybody seems to be excited to see this luster come back into the building.”
The second is the town and its distance to surrounding areas such as Cave Creek, Desert Mountain and Scottsdale.
“The more time that we’ve spent here, the more excited we are about the culture and the community itself,” he said. “Everybody seems to rally around excitement.”
The third reason he decided on Carefree was the town’s plan for the redevelopment of town center.
“That was what actually got us interested in the first place,” he said. “And the more time we spent, the more we were convinced that there is a vision here.”
Ken and Sharon’s vision for Orchard Street are to have two levels. The main level—what they refer to as the market level—will be the “immediate focus” when people walk through the door.
The market will consist of butchers, bakers, fishmongers, fresh cheese, gelato and more.
Ken describes it as a “collection of folks that are truly, genuinely interested and experienced and in love with the kind of products that they deliver.”
He believes in local producers.
“We think that there’s a real power behind having local entrepreneurs delivering these kinds of products directly to the consumers who are walking in the door,” he said.
On the lower level—or the cellar—there will be venues including wine bars, tap rooms, potential restaurants, and culinary experiences.
“We want it to be an exciting place that people come to spend a weekday evening,” he said. “We want it to be a hub for the community.”
Together, both levels make up the Orchard Street experience.
“Our vision is, really, that Orchard Street Market’s going to be an ecosystem of curated entrepreneurial purveyors, and then a richly layered experiential level down below, all brought to life in this beautifully renovated landmark at the heart of Carefree,” Ken said.
Ken estimates he will invest over $5 million in the project. His only concern is the parking.
“If we don’t have parking available, people won’t come,” he said.
He commended council for approving a new parking space policy, which would allow the town to create 40 plus new spaces in Village Center.
Councilmember Diane Roth expressed her excitement about the project.
“I think it’s fabulous. I’m thrilled as a retailer,” she said. “This is a retailer’s dream, and I adore that building. I think it’s, you know, the heartbeat of our town. And to have someone excited about doing something wonderful with it is the best for everybody.”
During the call to public comment, Carefree resident and town council candidate Les Hardie echoed the sentiment.
“I think this developer is going to spark a renaissance in town,” Hardie said. “I look forward to it, I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
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