Santa Cruz Farmers Markets in search of new home in Live Oak – Santa Cruz Sentinel

After nearly 22 years, Santa Cruz Farmers Markets will hold its final market out of the East Village Shopping Center in Live Oak at the end of April. The local nonprofit is currently looking for a new home in Live Oak to host the weekly market. (PK Hattis – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

LIVE OAK — After almost 22 years, the Santa Cruz Farmers Markets is in search of a new home in Live Oak.

Nesh Dhillon, executive director for the local market operator, confirmed in an email to the Sentinel that, effective April 28, the nonprofit will no longer be operating in Live Oak out of the East Village Shopping Center and is working with the community to identify a new location.

“The situation was a very recent development and we are still navigating the waters,” wrote Dhillon in a recent email to the Sentinel. “We are looking forward to the next chapter in our new home and hope to have something ironed out in the next month.”

Dhillon told the Sentinel that the market was given a 30-day notice on March 7 by lease owner Swenson, a San Jose-based development and construction business, but that notice was recently extended to April 30. Dhillon added that the proposed terms of a new lease, along with a rental increase, would have caused “lasting long-term impacts” to the nonprofit, so it decided to go in search of a different location.

The market, held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday at 15th Avenue and East Cliff Drive, features a wide variety of organic produce from regional farms, flowers, baked goods and, oftentimes, live music.

In a statement shared with the Sentinel, Swenson President and CEO Case Swenson said the company would “love to continue our 22-year partnership with the Live Oak Farmers Market” but that it also intends to recondition and repurpose the roughly 15,000 to 30,000-square-foot plot of land in the front.

“Swenson desired to move the farmers market position on the site to the rear of the property,” wrote Swenson in a statement, later adding that discussions about the plans with the farmers market had been underway since last October. “This movement would allow Swenson to repurpose the front of the center for a bakery and/or market, which included the front parking lot area where the market currently occupies on Sunday. These improvements for the overall center would benefit the existing tenants, customer shopping experience and even the farmers market.”

News of the Live Oak move comes amid another major transition for the almost 30-year-old local nonprofit. The organization’s downtown Santa Cruz event is also looking for a new location as it makes way for the city’s mixed-use library project.

The city recently launched a public survey to collect community feedback that will inform the development of the downtown market and it will remain open until April 24. A link to the confidential survey is at cityofsantacruz.com.

Dhillon added that the market’s board of directors expressed deep thanks and appreciation to the local farmers and community for their “decades of support and service.”

In addition to its locations in Live Oak and downtown Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Farmers Markets also runs markets in Felton, Scotts Valley and the Westside of Santa Cruz.