AAA Moving from Larkspur to Strawberry

AAA is packing up and coming to Strawberry Village.

The motor club company was a longtime tenant at Marin Country Mart in Larkspur, but the landlord opted not to renew the lease, according to Cynthia Harris, spokesperson for AAA Northern California.

Marin Country Mart owner James Rosenfield says he looked at various ways to keep AAA but the two parties came to a mutual decision to part ways.

"I think it's best for (AAA)," Rosenfield said. "Strawberry Village is a good location."

AAA Northern California will close its Larkspur branch Friday and relocate to Strawberry Village shopping center in Mill Valley.

"The new location will continue to provide our members with exceptional services that includes AAA Travel Agency, DMV registration, AAA maps/tourbooks, discounted attraction tickets, insurance services — Auto, Home & Life," Harris said.

The space at Marin Country Mart will be divided among four tenants. Rustic Bakery, which opened in April next to AAA, will expand to take over some of the space. Three new tenants are expected to lease the rest of the space.

"We want to create the vibrant retail village we envisioned here," Rosenfield said. "When this place first opened, there were a lot of spaces, but over time big users combined the spaces. We're breaking it back down into smaller spaces."

The 173,000-square-foot center was purchased in January 2009 by Santa Monica-based James Rosenfield of J.S. Rosenfield & Co. for $65 million from Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust Inc. The shopping center which overlooks the ferry terminal has gone through several changes in the 34 years since it was built.

Marin Country Mart — formerly Larkspur Landing — is undergoing another major shift, not just in its name and appearance, but its philosophy, according to Rosenfield.

"I pursued this space for five years before we bought it. At the time, we thought it was too much of an office park," said Rosenfield. "We prefer more of an agricultural them, like West Marin with its dairies and farms. This center was originally, built in a New England maritime theme, then as an Italian piazza. I don't think it has to be either of those. Marin has an idenitity all its own."

Miete Cakes, Three Twins Scoop Shop, El Huarache Loco, Barber Lane and a postal anex are among the newest shops at Marin Country Mart.

Belcampo Meat Co. and Farmshop Restaurant are due to open at Marin Country Mart this Fall. Rosenfield said the center is also hoping to welcome a toy shop, book store and even a day spa.

"We favor eateries and boutique shops," Rosenfield said. "We want tenants who are pasionate about what they do, have a good track record and are small business operators."