Property owner pushes for housing development next to Marina’s Walmart.

It’s been more than 20 years since Terry Tallen, CEO of Tallen Capital Partners, purchased the former Kmart building in Marina and brought Walmart to the city.

With the exception of Quick Quack Car Wash opening in 2023, the rest of the Marina Landing Shopping Center on Beach Road has remained stagnant, with empty plots of land waiting for businesses to set up shop.

Tallen says the shopping center lacks visibility from Highway 1, with relatively low traffic counts, estimated at about 20,000 vehicles passing by on Beach and Reservation roads daily.

He’s been pushing the City of Marina for years to rezone his 5.5-acre portion of land next to Walmart as mixed-use to allow for future residential development that will give the center built-in customers and spur new retailers.

That now seems to be gaining traction within city government, as the Marina Planning Commission voted 6-1 in November to recommend the city council rezone the property. It’s part of discussions around updating the Local Coastal Program, a land use document that covers 1.5 square miles of Marina, including the shopping center.

Tallen points to the major mixed-use development at the Dunes in south Marina, and says north Marina is subjected to outdated zoning laws that hinder development.

“We want equal property rights,” he says. “The bones of it are all good. It’s a great mixed-use/residential site. You can walk to a public library. You can walk to Locke-Paddon Park. You can walk to Monterey Bay. You’ve got a bus stop, and you’ve got a Walmart.”

In a report to the council, Senior Planner Phil Angelo writes that city planners believe the land should be kept as commercial, as the city needs more retailers in light of the number of new housing units constructed. Yet, the Planning Commission considered how long the site has been vacant, leading to its recommendation for mixed use.

The council is expected to discuss the plan on Tuesday, March 17.