Carefree's Town Council has signed off on a plan to turn the long-idle Los Portales Mall into Orchard Street Market, a two-level food and retail hub that backers hope will jolt the town center back to life. The reimagined space is slated to bring a fresh market and artisan shops on the upper level and a lineup of restaurants, wine bars and other experiential concepts below.
The council voted unanimously on June 2 to approve a Sales Tax Development Agreement that clears the way for the overhaul, according to Town of Carefree. Town materials say the plan is built around saving standout architectural elements, such as the stained-glass dome ceilings and archways, while fixing outdated infrastructure and code issues. Officials are pitching the deal as a cornerstone move in the broader Village Center redevelopment strategy.
Phoenix Business Journal reports that the council backed the project with more than $1 million in sales-tax incentives to help make the renovation pencil out. That public support helped convince the developer to proceed with the two-level market-and-dining vision. Town leaders say the arrangement is structured to grow Carefree's sales-tax base and pull more visitors into the heart of town.
Who's behind the project
New owners Ken Martindale and Sharon Aulicino, along with operating partner Charlie Yamashita, are the team driving the Orchard Street Market concept and pitched an adaptive-reuse design to council members. Their plan calls for fresh-market vendors and artisan makers upstairs, with a cellar-style level focused on dining and wine-bar experiences below. The basic outline of the operating plan, drawn from the town presentation and press materials, was summarized by Metro Phoenix Alliance.
Numbers, timeline and conditions
Coverage based on the council packet notes that the developers have proposed investing more than $5 million in the property. The approved agreement requires the project to generate at least $2.6 million in taxable revenue, with construction to be completed by July 1, 2028. It also grants Orchard Street Market the right to hold up to six events per year at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion. Those terms, drawn from the meeting documents and local reporting, are outlined by Carefree Unity.
Why the town is betting on it
Town materials tied to Resolution 2026-12 state that the project focuses on roughly 18,200 square feet of building space identified in the Village Center Redevelopment Plan for adaptive reuse, and the resolution authorizes the mayor to sign the development agreement. The documents frame the deal as a way to tackle aging infrastructure and underutilized square footage while keeping the property's character intact. They also note that the site sits inside Carefree's designated redevelopment area and that a notice of intent for a retail tax incentive was adopted in early May, according to Resolution 2026-12.
What locals can expect
Town officials say they plan to work with current tenants to see whether some businesses can remain during and after construction, and staff are reviewing parking strategies to serve fresh-market shoppers. “This project is exactly the type of strategic reinvestment the Town hopes to encourage,” Carefree Town Administrator Kristen Krey said in the town's announcement. Details on leases, construction schedules and community programming will roll out through the project's communication channels and official town notices.
The development agreement and related council documents are part of the town's meeting packet and summarized in local coverage; residents can sift through the fine print via Carefree's public meeting records. Investors and potential tenants say the market-style approach is designed to keep activity flowing on weekdays and add more evening energy to Carefree's town center.
