We can preserve a legacy and local history, if we want to.
Hi, my name is Tyler Freeman, and I was a Bothell resident since 2015 until just recently. I worked as one of the managers at Molbak's until the very end, so I saw first-hand how much this place meant to so many of you. I want to make this short, because the reason why I'm doing this is to preserve a community's story, not tell mine. Yet I feel it is helpful for you to know who is behind this effort to explain what exactly is happening.
Even in the short amount of time I had before the business closed in January 2024, I observed the ordinary, circadian rhythms surrounding the place. I got to know regulars who perused the aisles mostly for inspiration and sometimes to buy something. Even on slow retail days, the cafe was hardly ever empty, where clubs, friends, and business partners met under the Tetrastigma canopy. New customers were astounded and empowered to become a gardener. Puppies learned good behavior in a social setting. To you, Molbak's wasn't just a store. It was a place to make memories & generational traditions connecting with friends and family. Many of you showed me those obligatory generational photos in front of the Poinsettia Tree like a grandma shows pictures of her grandchildren (I think the record was 4 or 5!). You came to learn about horticulture from leading experts, always seeming to walk away inspired and empowered. Or maybe you didn't come for the plants, but for Molbaks' widely-recognized, unique, curated gifts for your homes, loved ones, or other people's gardens.
Over the time I worked there (since Aug 2022), I spoke with so many of you who never knew you were a plant person until you came to Molbak's. I noticed that being quite flat overall, it was for many an accessible way to spend time outside or among plants. I saw how you would walk through the rows of plants to gather plans and "inspiration" for your gardens, or simply to find solace. But when the news came last November, December, and again confirmed in January earlier this year, you instead walked the halls one last time to "say goodbye," even having traveled from out of state (one I spoke with from California, perhaps more). You were deeply grieved, confused, even infuriated by the whole fiasco. You felt powerless, even as I did when answering your frequently-asked questions. I wracked my brain to try to think of suggestions I could pass to leadership as if they hadn't already thought of them. Molbak's was closing for good, and that was it.
So I made peace with that fact; the business would cease to exist. Then, before Molbak's closed in January, an idea came to me. What if we could designate the structures on the Molbak property as an Historical Landmark? That would protect them from demolition and, although the late business would not be resurrected, they could be re-purposed for the benefit of the community. I promptly investigated this idea and found that any old Schmoe like myself could initiate the process, though it usually required specialized technical skill in historical research and could take at least 2 months to write an historical essay of sorts to nominate the property.
I thought the place would be mowed down once the business closed (I was very wrong), so I burnt the candle from both ends to gather as much research as I could and begin piecing it together. That candle burnt down to a stub. With rumors about the cafe remaining open for months longer, I had to set it aside to find a new job and recover. Then personal disaster hit, and I had to let it go entirely. Notwithstanding, a member of the Woodinville Heritage Society took the baton and hired out the task of research, then later in the year called me back to help.
So here I am, and here we are: on the precipice of something monumental(pun intended). Imagine continuing Egon & Laina’s near-7-decade legacy by protecting historical structures on the Molbak property and breathing the same spirit into them. The greenhouses that grew and housed inspiring kaleidoscopic displays of flowers and houseplants could be the permanent, convertible home of a year-round Farmer’s Market. The retail garden store that transformed into a Christmas tree wonderland could host pop-up art galleries, musical performances, and Fall plays. Or even a skating rink. We could give educational seminars by local farms like 21-Acres in the now-cleared out retail home & gift store. There could be lines of community garden beds in the nursery. It could be a gathering place for meetings and gatherings, holiday festivities, and historical tours.
Sound familiar? Perhaps it sounds like the ideas that the Molbak family proffered to try and re-open? I was the one who put many of those ideas on a whiteboard at a post-close employee gathering in February, and I had no idea what they would do with them. These plans are distinct from that effort in that it is community-led. You, the people of Woodinville (first) and beyond (second), will get to call the shots on what could be done with this space.
Only two urgent hurdles hinder us. First, Green Partners, the owner of the property, does not have to allow people onto the property once it has been designated, as it is private property. So even if designated an Historical Landmark, we may not be allowed to restore the structures, which could sit and rot. Second, they have been approved for a demolition permit. There is a chance that now that the nomination form has been submitted, the city could have legal leverage to impose a moratorium on demolition until the Landmarks Commission reviews it and a public hearing has occurred.
I met with Mayor Millman and City Manager Buchanan and although they reached out to Green Partners several times, GP declined to meet with us or comment. Realizing that restoration cannot proceed without their cooperation, I was disappointed that they chose not to even hear the ideas I had for repurposing the property that would make them money (their public actions and words make it seem like that is their main motivation).
So what do you say? How important is preserving the structures to you? Do you want to see the Molbak structures protected, even if Green Partners doesn't allow anyone to restore the them? Tell me by clicking here SURVEYor via the survey tab at the top of the webpage.