BREA

After three years of holding a lease on a vacant storefront in the Brea West Shopping Center, Ralphs Grocery Co. is finally ready to move on.

Pat Barber, vice president of real estate for Ralphs, said a deal between the company and the shopping center owners to give up control of Ralphs’ lease on the 21,000-square-foot space could be signed as early as next week.

The announcement marks an end to a three-year struggle between the owners of the Central Avenue/Puente Street shopping center and Ralphs Grocery Co.

The anchor space was formerly occupied by an Alpha Beta market, but Ralphs bought out the smaller grocery chain in 1997. The corporation shut down the market and left the space empty.