Marina Shopping Center History, Family and Vision

If you’ve lived in Stockton long enough, there’s a very good chance that the name Grupe is highly familiar to you. Perhaps you recognize it from Fritz Grupe Park, or maybe you’re well acquainted with just how much of Stockton the Grupe family has left their stamp on as builders and developers. From large master-planned communities such as Brookside and Quail Lakes to commercial office and retail to self-storage properties, whether you know it or not, they’re responsible for many places we know well in San Joaquin County.

One of the most familiar and beloved of the local spots that exist thanks to the Grupe family is the Marina Shopping Center. A brief bit of history: that little section of Stockton first came to be with the construction of Lincoln Village West, which was developed by Live in Lincoln Village and Live, also known as LILVAL, the company that preceded the Grupe Company. Nearly a decade after that neighborhood was built, the Village Square Shopping Center was developed, although today it is known as the Marina Shopping Center. Now managed by the Grupe Huber Company, it is just as much an important piece of local history as it is an integral part of the neighborhood where it’s anchored.

The ongoing success of this shopping center is due to a few factors, one being that it was built when shopping options in that area were nonexistent, making it a necessity. “When my parents built that center 50 years ago, there was no neighborhood grocery store there,” said Sandy Grupe Huber, Grupe Huber’s co-owner and principal, and daughter of Fritz and Phyllis Grupe. In fact, prior to Lincoln Village West’s construction, the area was farmland. “And I-5 didn’t exist, so you had to drive quite a way away to shop because Lincoln Village West was kind of its own little island peninsula. And they felt it was really important for the residents to have a neighborhood place to shop.”

And those residents still do. The shopping center is currently home to tenants such as Marina Marketplace, Octavio’s, Sequin Nails and Ace Hardware, and because of this blend of businesses, the shopping center has become more of a neighborhood center than a mere place to run errands. You can shop, but you can also treat yourself to a relaxing pedicure before enjoying a meal. As the years have gone by, the tenants have naturally sometimes changed to reflect what consumers are looking for, but it has always remained a place to fulfill local needs. And now the shopping center is getting an exterior upgrade in order to keep up with the times. Construction on the center, which was subcontracted to Haggerty Construction, began in October 2023 and finally wrapped in July.

“It was really time to invest in a new look,” said Kevin Huber, Grupe Huber’s president and CEO and Sandy’s husband. “After 50 years, the architecture changes and styles change, so we continue to try to keep it looking good. But it’s pretty hard to take something that old and continue to make it look and feel vibrant and new.”

Come Sail Away
Small improvements here and there are certainly effective enough, but Grupe Huber decided that both tenants and shoppers deserved the kind of results that could only come from a total rehaul. The new look of the Marina Shopping Center draws heavy inspiration from the Delta, a fitting choice for both its name and location. Some of what you can expect to see is all new siding and light fixtures, plus a fresh color scheme; think nautically themed shades of blue. Beyond the aesthetics, you’ll also find the reinvention of some spaces that were previously lacking in functionality but will now serve as family-friendly gathering areas.

“Something we realized during COVID is that people love to be outdoors,” Sandy noted. “They love to eat, play, have coffee or meet somebody with their dog outdoors, and in Stockton, we can do that nine months out of the year. So, we had two very large areas that were underutilized, and since part of Grupe Huber’s vision is to support our neighborhood and the lifestyles of the residents, we decided to promote these wonderful, engaging outdoor spaces.”

And engaging is definitely the right word. One of those spaces has been transformed into a children’s play area decked out with a miniature sailboat for little ones to play on, complete with a soft, cushioned area and a steering wheel so they can pretend they’re at the helm of their own vessel on the Delta. But the Grupe Huber team decided to lean into that nautical theme even more by making sure the plant selection also reflects what you’d find on our lush, local waterways. “This shopping center, and this area, really, is the gateway to the Delta,” Sandy said. “And it was such a joy to think about all the different ways we could explore that, so that when somebody drives up, they feel like they have a sense of arrival at a nautically themed destination.”

Service First
But of course, there’s as much work put into the inner workings of the shopping center as there is in the visuals. Each tenant is there because of careful consideration from Grupe Huber, looking at what they’ll bring to the table. “Our philosophy is to improve the communities that we live and work in,” said Kevin. “I think that with a neighborhood shopping center like the one we have here, the level of personal service that you get at the Marina Shopping Center cannot be found in the big box stores.”

Personal service really is at the core of the Marina Shopping Center. It was designed to be of service to residents, but it’s also managed with the tenants in mind. Specifically, Grupe Huber made sure to take the needs and concerns of the tenants into consideration when planning this redesign. “We started saving for this remodel probably ten years ago, making sure that we were accumulating enough cash so that when it came time to do it, we could ensure that we had the funds for it and still have enough left over with adequate reserves for other things we may need.” The remodel cost more than $3 million, which is roughly three times the cost of constructing it in the first place. But it’s clearly a worthy investment as well as a necessary one.

“We have tenants in Marina Center that have been there more than 40 years,” Kevin continued, explaining how important it is that good relationships are maintained for successful business ventures. “It really starts with the ownership,” he adds. “It started with Sandy’s parents and their philosophy of always trying to make the community better. And that’s been passed on to us.”
It goes back farther than Fritz, even; Fritz’s father developed Lincoln Center, another long-lasting community center that has stayed relevant all these years. “Shopping has changed dramatically in 50 years,” Fritz noted. “There’s lots of competition. If you’re a consumer, you have more than one option. But you’ll go where you feel safe and where things are neat and clean.” And that is certainly the Marina Shopping Center; the remodel has also included increased lighting and security cameras.

“With our mix of merchants, we have a lot of products and services you can’t just get online,” Kevin added. “When you have a neighborhood center, you can be successful if you stay current, especially with things like design and quality tenants.”

Facing Forward
Given Grupe Huber’s ever-expanding list of properties, it’s reassuring to know that this one continues to hold a special place in their hearts. “Our mindset is that we build communities and we build neighborhoods,” Kevin affirmed. “To us, this is not just a project.”

Indeed, it’s more of a legacy than it is a project. Kevin and Sandy’s son, Fritz Huber, is one of the leads from Grupe Huber on this redesign, making him the third generation to be involved with the place. In ushering the shopping center into a new era, they’re building on history, that of both the Grupe family and Stockton. It’s something that’s important to all involved.

“I think that the way you maintain history and legacy is to invest in the property and continue to maintain the philosophy of wanting to provide great service and a great experience to the customer,” Kevin said. And when Fritz is asked how he feels about seeing his visions last so long and take on new life as the city has grown and changed around it, his answer is simple: “If it doesn’t, it’ll die.”

Going the Extra Mile
Here’s something else you’ll need to see when you go to the freshly renovated Marina Shopping Center. In fact, it’s something that’s worth the trip alone.

“One of the things that Kevin and I feel strongly about, and so do my parents, is art in public spaces,” says Sandy. “And that art can be courtyards, it can be beautiful landscaping, it can be children’s play areas. But the other thing we’ve done is that we’ve just commissioned a very beautiful mural that is again evoking the Delta.” The mural was designed in the style of famous 1960s graphic artist Peter Max, but in true community fashion, they commissioned the Stockton Mural Art Resource Team to paint it. And now it’s on display for everyone to enjoy, and of course, take Instagram-worthy photos in front of.

“One of our tenants is the San Joaquin Office of Education, and they have a group of students there who want to go in front of this mural and have their picture taken every day,” shared Sandy. “And when I see that, it just fills me with such joy. When you can create an experience like that, it brings you a lot of satisfaction.”

While things at the Marina Shopping Center continue to evolve to meet the ever-shifting needs of residents, one thing is certain. The attention to detail that Grupe Huber has infused into every decision here will never go out of style.