To the distress of Outer Sunset residents, rumors have been flying on NextDoor that the beloved Sloat Garden Center at 2700 Sloat Boulevard (between 45th and 46th Avenues) will be closing, possibly as soon as June 2016.

“The worker there [at the Marina Sloat Garden Center] told me a few weeks ago they are closing end of June 2016,” wrote one local. “Next closest store, she said, was on 3rd. Too bad.”

Dave Stoner, the president of Sloat Garden Center, wants to put those rumors to rest. “The absolute soonest we would be out is by June or July of next year,” he told us. “It’s more likely to be two or three years, because things are moving at a snail’s pace.”

Herbs at Sloat Garden Center. (Photo: Shirley M.J./Yelp)

The Outer Sunset location of Sloat Garden Center, which opened in 1968, was the first of several that now span across the Bay Area. It's one of the city's largest plant nurseries.  

According to Stoner, the center has not yet been sold, but a developer has an option on the property. “The owners of the company have decided to sell the property for a number of reasons, for personal reasons,” he said. “They’re looking to ensure that their family will be taken care of after their time on the planet.”

Curbed SF says that the land will most likely become a mixed-use development, with housing and retail. Another, similar development is going up just a block down Sloat, with three commercial buildings (including the former Roberts at the Beach motel), being razed for a 56-unit building with retail and parking spaces. 

Illustration of the forthcoming development on Sloat between 46th and 47th Avenues. (Photo: Sloat Parkside Properties)

Even after the Sunset location closes, Sloat Garden Center will continue to have a presence in San Francisco—it has locations on 3rd Avenue in the Inner Richmond and on Pierce Street in the Marina.

While Stoner did not rule out a move to another location, he noted that San Francisco’s retail environment is “an incredibly difficult” one. “We’re always looking [for new sites],” he said. “But retail sites are extremely expensive, and the nursery industry is not a high-margin industry.”