The Bay Area’s hot economy claimed another casualty this month when Bay City Flower Co. in Half Moon Bay said it will shut down Nov. 10, laying off 195 workers.
“It has become increasingly difficult to run a flower farm and compete nationally while operating in the costliest place in the nation,” Bay City Flower’s CEO Harrison Higaki said in a statement. “After four generations and 110 glorious years in floriculture, we at Bay City Flowers Co. have decided that the time has come for us to wind down the selling of our flowers.”
The company said it’s looking at “alternative uses” for its facilities.
Bay City Flower's two properties, one in Half Moon Bay and the other in Pescadero, are on the market. The company did not have an immediate figure on the acreage involved. The company is selling 50 acres at 2265 and 2275 Cabrillo Highway South in Half Moon Bay for an asking price of $42.5 million, according to a listing on LoopNet. A total greenhouse area of 925,000 square feet would be "excellent for cannabis or hemp," the listing touts. "This property is zoned for cannabis and/or hemp cultivation for clones, flower and seed."
Read the full article at San Francisco Business Times (Mark Calvey)