What’s going into the old Petaluma Seed Bank building?

What’s moving in when the Petaluma Seed Bank moves out of its iconic location on the corner of East Washington Street and Petaluma Boulevard next month?|

What’s moving in when the Petaluma Seed Bank moves out of its iconic location on the corner of East Washington Street and Petaluma Boulevard next month?

The bank building’s new tenants have the same question.

CannaCraft co-founder Ned Fussell has signed a five-year lease with the building’s owners, without any real plans for what to do with it, said partner Nick Papadopoulos.

“We’re in this really neat period of time where we’re listening to the community,” said Papadopoulos, who co-founded CropMobster, a social media platform for the agricultural community, and is helping with outreach for Fussell’s latest venture.

“Over the next few months, we’re welcoming any input from partners who might be interested. ... We’d love to come up with a concept to do something great for the community of Petaluma, to draw more business to town. We sort of took a big leap.”

Considering Fussell’s background as a founder of Sonoma County’s largest cannabis manufacturer, the idea of opening a dispensary in the space is of interest, Papadopoulos said. But with Petaluma’s decision against allowing any cannabis business downtown, that’s not possible - for now.

In 2016, 64 percent of Petalumans voted to legalize recreational cannabis sales for adults 21 and older. Yet the city restricts cannabis businesses to delivery-only dispensaries and those manufacturing edibles and topicals. Also restricted is where they’re allowed: six business parks, mostly on the city’s east side.

“If the city of Petaluma and community members embrace or allow a dispensary there, would we be interested in diving into that? Absolutely,” Papadopoulos said. “But you’ve got to do it right. There are so many concerns about safety, community welfare, schools. If that were the case, it would take a lot of time and a lot of community (involvement).”

While short on specifics, Fussell and Papadopoulos want a business in keeping with the community and educational spirit embodied by the Seed Bank’s owners, Missouri-based Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Fussell takes over the lease May 1. Papadopoulos declined to divulge the rent.

The 1920s-era bank building has served as the West Coast headquarters for the seed company since 2009, slowly growing into what store manager Ellyn Mavalwalla described as more of a farm store or a department store than a seed store.

The move represents a significant scaling back for the business, and a return to its roots as, simply, a seed company.

When employees celebrate their grand opening at the new storefront at 110 Petaluma Blvd. N. next month - Mavalwalla is aiming for April 22, Earth Day - it will still have a presence inside the old Sonoma County National Bank Building, Papadopoulos said.

He would like to see the seed company host community events and workshops at the bank beneath the building’s 30-foot vaulted ceilings.

“We’re excited, honestly, that it’s not going to be another restaurant or bar or hair salon or big box store because those are things that Petaluma did not need,” Mavalwalla said. “We’re looking forward to working with them.”

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.

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