TMG Partners is renovating about 60,000 square feet of the Public Market in Emeryville to prepare for a major overhaul of the existing 14-acre retail and office complex into a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.

The 200,000-square-foot Public Market, at 5959 Shellmound St., is known for its international food court, but also includes office space, a movie theater and other retail space.

"The location has meaning to people because it is a unique destination in Emeryville," said Denise Pinkston, a TMG partner.

"We are dialing down the aspects of the center that feel like the 1980s to make it feel more like a neighborhood and make it feel like a unique place."

TMG's broader project will involve refurbishing and constructing about 1.5 million square feet of office, retail and residential space.

The first component of the new space is a 190-unit, five-story apartment building at 64th Street and Christie Avenue that TMG expects to start later this year.

The developer began construction work this month that involves redesigning the food court, changing signage, improving the landscaping, realigning entryways and reformatting some of the retail spaces, including a 30,000-square-foot spot formerly occupied by Borders Books & Music.

The developer recently signed an 18,000-square-foot lease with Guitar Center to occupy part of that space and leases for the remaining space are in the works, said Craig Semmelmeyer, a broker with Main Street PropertiesbizWatch who represented TMG in the lease and is working on the re-branding efforts. The food court, with 18 food stalls, is already a popular dining destination for nearby office workers. The redesign will add two to four new stalls, Semmelmeyer said, and the landlord is looking at mixing up the offerings.

"We would like to capture what's happening with the microfood phenomenon," he said. "The stall is somewhere between the food truck and full-fledged restaurant, and a lot of people are interested in that."

Emeryville's Public Market was modeled after large public markets typically housed in industrial or warehouse type buildings, so the re-branding effort will take from those origins as well as bring a new modern flair to the project.

"We are improving the public market today so that it can be the focal point for the future development," Semmelmeyer said.

"We would like to capture what's happening with the microfood phenomenon," he said. "The stall is somewhere between the food truck and full-fledged restaurant, and a lot of people are interested in that."

Emeryville's Public Market was modeled after large public markets typically housed in industrial or warehouse type buildings, so the re-branding effort will take from those origins as well as bring a new modern flair to the project.

"We are improving the public market today so that it can be the focal point for the future development," Semmelmeyer said.