An urban garden, Plant & Soul California, located at 76 Race Street, is facing eviction after 27 years of operation. The organization received a 20-day notice to vacate the property, which follows a recent real estate sale. Volunteers and board members are working to raise funds to either make a counteroffer for the land or secure an emergency relocation.
Sofie Gmerek, a volunteer at the garden, noted the community’s limited notice to leave. An emergency campaign has been launched with a goal of raising $2.5 million. This funding would either enable a counteroffer for the property, which is already in escrow, or finance an emergency relocation to prevent the land from being redeveloped into what volunteers fear could be urban sprawl. So far, the organization has raised $5,000.
Jessicka “Joosey” Chamberlin, a board member, explained that the organization has been upgrading the property, a costly endeavor that has impacted its ability to pay the $8,000 monthly rent to property owner Fred Soltanzad. Chamberlin confirmed that the rent has not been paid for the last 18 months, acknowledging Soltanzad’s prior graciousness. Soltanzad did not respond to a request for comment regarding the situation.
Chamberlin stated the board’s desire to purchase the land, noting that community support is the only way to achieve this. The less than half-acre property includes a structure at the back of the garden and a house at 80 Race Street. Beyond the $2 million needed to buy the land, an additional $700,000 is sought to finalize a strategic plan, make important infrastructure upgrades, and hire one to two people to manage the garden and create a native plant nursery. Chamberlin believes that owning the land would allow the garden to become fully sustainable through its landscape design-build business and a rebooted nursery. Starting anew at a different location would cost tens of thousands of dollars. If the necessary funding is received and the current sale falls through, Chamberlin envisions creating a zero-waste store, selling locally grown beans and pesto made from the garden's basil.
In response to the garden's predicament, Paige Sweetin, Chief Operating Officer of San Jose Opera, offered a potential alternative site. Sweetin suggested that Plant & Soul California consider relocating its community garden to the historic home of opera founder Irene Dalis on the outskirts of downtown San Jose. Sweetin expressed a long-term dream for that property to become a community garden, noting the opera company’s commitment to community partnerships, despite lacking the resources to run a garden themselves. Chamberlin, while hoping to remain at the current site, also expressed interest in helping the opera create a community garden elsewhere.
The garden was founded in 1999 by Alrie Middlebrook, who rented the property from Soltanzad. Middlebrook transformed a former vehicle repair shop and parking lot into a demonstrative native plant garden, supported by her landscape design business. Chamberlin began volunteering at the garden in the summer of 2022 and joined the board in 2023. Upon Middlebrook’s retirement in 2024, Chamberlin and her partner David Shapiro took over Middlebrook’s landscape design-build business and the associated nonprofit, California Native Garden Foundation, which they renamed Plant & Soul California.
Plant & Soul California is described as a unique organization that generates income while serving the community. Volunteers emphasize its value. Kendra Hein, a garden assistant, noted the transformation of the site from “bare asphalt” into a vibrant place where birds and other wildlife are seen, offering a space for people to “be without societal pressures.” Karen Schaffer, another volunteer, highlighted its educational programs and community benefits, calling it a great demonstration of California native plants and stating, “There’s nothing else like this in San Jose and especially not in this neighborhood. It would be a terrible loss.” The group has hosted various community events, including live music, and serves food while teaching about native plants, with Chamberlin asserting that San Jose needs a place like this.