Ralphs center gets a makeover, new name: Mercato del Sole

Fabio Conti has begun an improvement project at the Ralphs shopping center, which he is renaming Mercato del Sole. Staff photo

By Doug Spoon, Editor

One of the oldest shopping centers in Menifee is getting a facelift, a new name, and extra safety precautions – thanks to a former Hollywood restaurateur.

For 25 years, Fabio Conti owned Fabiolus Cucina, an Italian restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. Desiring a change for himself and a better environment for his family, Conti sold the restaurant and moved to Menifee. A year ago, having made a healthy profit on his restaurant sale, he purchased what is generally known as the Ralphs shopping center at the corner of Newport Road and Antelope Road.

That center is officially named Menifee Town Center. The only signage to that effect is a street sign at the driveway entering the center at the Living Spaces store. According to City of Menifee economic development director Gina Gonzalez, the previous owner never bought the rights to that name, however. That explains why the center under construction south of Newport Road and west of Haun Road is the “real” Menifee Town Center.

Focusing on improving the center he purchased, Conti is renaming it Mercato del Sole – which means “market of the sun”. Renovations from the first phase, which didn’t require approval from the city, include replacing the tile on columns at the Ralphs market and throughout most of the center. Conti did consult with City planning director Cheryl Kitzerow before final decisions were made about the tile design, paint for the buildings and other cosmetic factors.

“The upgrades to Mercato del Sole will provide enhancements for residents, visitors, and tenants,” Kitzerow said.

Design drawings show a proposed new look for the shops south of the Ross store.

Conti does not plan structural changes to the current buildings, but future phases call for awnings extending from an area south of the Ross store into the parking lot, creating a patio area in front of where several small restaurants are located. He hopes to attract a larger restaurant as well.

"The restaurant area, I want to make like a food court,” Conti said.” Now you can get some food, but aside from their few tables, there’s nowhere to sit down with your kids while the wife buys groceries. There’s also an area between Ralphs and Ross that is not used well. There’s a Dollar Store and a little plaza area. We need to have an area when people can get together.”

To accomplish this, Conti plans a reconfiguration of the parking lot, moving traffic away from the front of the buildings. He also plans a wide pedestrian walkway from the outer parking area to the entrance of Ralphs, making it safer for people to walk to the store.

All this must eventually be approved by the City, but Conti already has extensive plans. He owns most of the center, but not the Living Spaces building or the fast food restaurants, bank and Auto Zone store fronting Antelope Road.

“There’s not a dedicated sidewalk for people going from the parking lot to the stores,” Conti said. “We’re also going to do a lot of landscaping. The name of the center is Italian, and we want to give it the whole feeling of the sun. I want to put olive trees almost everywhere. We’ll still have awnings to provide shade and protection from the rain, and we’ll have pick-up and drop-off areas.

Design drawings show a reconfigured parking lot, including a pedestrian walkway.

“I want to enclose the food court area so there’s no traffic where you’re eating. I’m also trying to bring better operators for restaurants. I had a restaurant in Hollywood for 25 years. It’s saturated there. I tell people they need to come out where there’s a demand for it. I like a place where the waiter comes out, there are white tablecloths . . . that is not available in this center.

“I want to have a place where people can come and spend some time eating and shopping. The Countryside Marketplace, they have outside seating, a fireplace, areas to have events. There’s nothing like that on this side of the freeway.”

Gonzalez has had several meetings with Conti and said the proposed changes will have a positive impact on the local economy.

“The investment made at Mercato del Sole is important for the community, especially since the original center was one of the first commercial centers developed in Menifee, long before incorporation,” Gonzalez said. “With new development occurring in the city, many quality tenants are looking for new amenities when deciding where to invest and locate their business.

“Mr. Conti understands the value and high demand in Menifee for beautiful, quality, and affordable space to encourage unique eateries and placemaking opportunities for our residents. This long-term project will take partnership, ingenuity, and vision to continue to see it through in its entirety. Investments like this are what keeps Menifee fresh, clean, and attractive.”

Conti already has made a huge improvement at the center by increasing security from the previous four-hour shift per day to two eight-hour shifts, with a guard on site all day and until 11 p.m. This is a welcome addition for residents who have complained about homeless individuals and criminal activity in the parking lot.

“The place was very rundown,” Conti said about the center when he bought it. “When I came here, the back parking lot was where everybody dumped stuff. We had a lot of people coming here to use drugs, have sex . . . Now I get a daily report from security on everything that happens. I was able to break the cycle.

“Having a makeover will help to change the image. They won’t come here thinking that is OK. When I’m done with a few changes I want to make at first, I suspect we’ll have a better perception with the residents."

A view looking northwest from in front of the LL Reptile store shows more pedestrian space.

Conti admitted that keeping the center safe is an ongoing challenge, and he thanks the Menifee Police Department for its presence.

“Having the police here is a dream,” he said. “They come out in no time, and they swing by during the day and night. People used to come to park RVs and trailer trucks in the back. Now security and police go and cite them. They are there no more. People come speeding in the parking lot, do their donuts. The police get here fast.”

Menifee Police Captain Dave Gutierrez said Conti has been quick to make changes that help the police do their job easier.

“A couple of months prior to us going live on July 1, I personally met with Fabio,” Gutierrez said. “Fabio had concerns with the homeless hanging around his property and leaving a mess. People were also utilizing the south parking lot for a hangout.

“We walked the property and conducted a CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) evaluation. We identified some things that would help make the location be less attractive to the homeless population. This included some overgrown shrubbery and a hard barrier to prevent traffic from being able to access the large, unused parking lot. Fabio was very responsive and immediately took care of the items of concern.”

Gutierrez said the Menifee PD crime analyst looked at statistics for that center between April and June as compared to the time period from July 1 until Sept. 18 – the latter period being under patrol of the new police department.

The report indicated that there were 101 calls for service from July 1 through Sept. 18, which is nine more than the previous period. However, there were also 19 fewer criminal calls (a total of 31) after July 1.

In addition, the study showed that since July 1, Menifee PD has conducted 56 proactive events (extra patrols, pedestrian checks, traffic stops and vehicle checks) in that center – 43 more than were conducted by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department from April through June.

“The data seems to validate Fabio’s assertion that he has seen an increased presence by Menifee PD and less crime at the shopping center since July 1,” Gutierrez said.

Conti said that by the time the improvements are finished, Mercato del Sole will be a shopping center of which residents can be proud.

“This is something where I can improve the value of the property and do something for the city,” Conti said. “I’m not here to just collect the rent and get away with the least I can. I want the city to talk about this place.”

Customers at the Ralphs market this week will see replacement of the column tiles taking place.