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WOODINVILLE—In January 2024, when Molbak’s Garden and Home closed its doors, plant lovers in King County and beyond wilted more than a little. 

According to The Seattle Times, the Woodinville gardening complex attracted “1 million visitors a year” at its peak in 2006. For 67 years, the store served as an accessible introduction to horticulture, with employees eager to convert any window-shopper into an avid green thumb. 

But to many, Molbak’s was more than just a business, and meant much more than just plants. 

Egon Molbak, a Danish immigrant who founded the business in 1956 with his wife Laina, was “convinced that contact with arts and with nature and beauty is… a psychological necessity,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote in 1997. The physical space at Molbak’s was once a reflection of his belief, featuring a “tropical conservatory and aviary”, as well as “a pond and a waterfall… and benches for you to sit on while you listen to the splashing water and the nightingale’s song.” 

A hippie’s haven, perhaps; a greenhouse to stroll through after indulging in some more odorous green in the parking lot. But good vibes aside, is Molbak’s truly worthy of being considered historic?

Some argue that the historical value of the Molbak’s site surpasses that of the very city it’s located in. “It’s not… a garden center in the middle of Woodinville, it’s that a whole town grew around us,” said Julia Kouhia, CEO of Molbak’s, in an interview with KUOW. For reference, Woodinville officially became incorporated in 1993, 37 years after operations began at Molbak’s. 

In the past, local politicians and business partners had unanimously affirmed this historicity. “This is an institution here,” Woodinville’s Mayor Mike Millman told KING-5, also sharing that he was “sick to his stomach” when he heard of the store’s closure. In June 2023, a spokesman for Green Partners, Molbak’s landlord since 2008, referred to Molbak’s as “storied” and a “beloved business.” 

But since then, attitudes seem to have changed behind the scenes at Green Partners, which is “associated with Bill Gates’ Cascade Investments LLC”, per the Puget Sound Business Journal. Initially, Green Partners had conceived a new home for Molbak’s within the Gardens District project, a “19-acre development in the heart of Woodinville to create apartments, retailers and restaurants within a garden space.” In November 2023, however, several publications reported that Molbak’s, originally intended as the “centerpiece” of the district, had been “forced out” of the plan. 

Curiously, state government records list Jens Molbak, who inherited ownership of Molbak’s from his parents, as once having served as the “Governor” and sole “Business Officer” of Green Partners. This has stirred online speculation; accusations of mismanagement and profiteering by ownership have arisen in social media discussions. In contrast, the Seattle Times reported in November 2023 that, according to CEO Kouhia, “Jens Molbak… has a ‘small, silent, minority interest’ in Green Partners.” 

Molbak’s also stated on Facebook, “There are online records that list Jens Molbak as a “Governor” of Green Partners, LLC., but that hasn’t been true for several years…Secretary of State official records show that Green Partners is currently governed by Mount Tolt Holdings, LLC, which is associated with Cascade Asset Management Company.” 

Though the records may be outdated, “for several years” implies that Jens Molbak indeed served as the company’s “Governor” for some time post-2008, when the Molbak’s land was sold to Green Partners in the first place. Potentially, this could indicate that a member of the Molbak family, through governance of a separate corporate entity, still possessed legal and financial control over the Woodinville property after it supposedly changed hands, and could have taken steps to preserve the nursery’s future. 

Corporate intrigue aside, the Garden District letdown wouldn’t be the last time Molbak’s had its hopes dashed. In April 2024, three months following closure, a new direction for the company was announced: “Green Phoenix Collaborative”. KUOW reporter Dyer Oxley, who couldn’t resist the headline “Molbak’s from the dead”, described Green Phoenix as “essentially a community gathering space centered on gardening.” The collaborative aimed to provide educational classes and programs, host farmers markets and festivals, and more. 

Green Phoenix set an extremely lofty goal of $2.5 million in fundraising; “if they fail to reach their goal, all money will be returned to folks who pitched in,” wrote Oxley. By the deadline in early May, only $106,814 had been raised. The fundraiser ended, donations were refunded, and Green Phoenix Collaborative’s website shut down, along with any reopening plans for Molbak’s.

I spoke to Tyler Freeman, a former Molbak’s employee who began nominating the property for Historic Landmark status in September and created an online campaign to raise public support. His efforts to preserve the Molbak’s property led to talks with the King County Historic Preservation Program, operated by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP).

Freeman had arranged a sit-down with Woodinville municipal officials on October 10, which Green Partners reportedly declined to attend. After the meeting, he learned that Green Partners had requested a demolition permit two days prior. “On October 15th, 2024, the City of Woodinville issued a demolition permit on the subject property, presenting a reasonable threat to the Molbak’s Greenhouse & Nursery,” reads a notice from the DNRP.  

Woodinville resident Alison Farmer, who reviewed emails between Freeman, Mayor Millman, and City Manager Brandon Buchanan, established a timeline of events, which allegedly show the city “conspiring to prevent the Landmark nomination.” Farmer claims that the two politicians “deceived a member of the public (Freeman) and used the power of government to benefit a developer.” Although the City of Woodinville had already received Green Partners’ demolition application on October 8, Freeman was not informed of this during his meeting on the 10th. 

Freeman also emailed Millman and Buchanan on the 14th to “thank them for the meeting” and to ask “if there are any updates from Green Partners.” According to Farmer, Millman responded, “Nothing yet but will notify you if and when we hear from Green Partners.” That same day, the demolition permit was approved. Freeman only found out three days later from “other sources.”

Freeman unsuccessfully requested a moratorium on demolition; as of publication, the Molbak’s property has been almost completely leveled, with only two minor structures remaining. His sole remaining course of action is a public hearing on the 21st, which he says “wasn’t widely publicized by the city.” He encourages plant lovers, community members, and those who “appreciate King County’s history” to attend the hearing at Seattle’s King Street Center.

But what, if anything, can still be realistically accomplished, and why fight what seems to be a battle already lost? “Being an employee, I saw firsthand what this meant to people,” Freeman shared. “People walked the halls weeping, people flew in from out of state just to say goodbye. I know this was a really important thing to them.” He emphasized a statement on his website: “We choose to memorialize Woodinville’s memories and history by protecting the bones of the business (the structures).”

Aware that the bones have now turned to rubble, Freeman asked, “To the city of Woodinville, how do you choose to memorialize this institution that has passed away?  That is now no longer intangibly present, but also no longer tangibly present?” He suggested a revival of the original Garden District plan, somewhere to serve as “an open community space, a green place for people to look at nature and chill.”

Somewhat deflatedly, Freeman shared his opinion and outlook on Molbak’s future. “I don’t care what specifically happens, but I want Green Partners to listen to what the community needs… Maybe hold a public hearing to see what people actually want, but I don’t think they have the integrity to do that.”

The Lynnwood Times contacted Green Partners for comment and has not received a response as of publication.

Editor’s Note: Article updated 2:20 p.m., November 29, 2024, clarifying that Tyler Freeman, a former Molbak’s employee, “began” nominating the property for Historic Landmark status in September. The word “began” was added to the article.

Author: Kayvon Bumpus