WOODINVILLE — Molbak’s, the Woodinville garden and home store, has set a closing date.

On Thursday, Molbak’s Garden + Home said its last day of business would be Jan. 28.

A going-out-of business sale starts Friday, the company said in a statement.

The company annnounced last month it would shutter the 67-year-old business after negotiations with landlord Green Partners fell through.

Molbak’s said it had worked “closely” with community partners since 2008 to develop The Gardens District, a 19-acre residential and retail development

A new Molbak’s was expected to be the centerpiece of the Woodinville development, described as a “garden in the city,” the company said.

“The project was our plan for the future and our opportunity to remain in Woodinville for many years to come,” Molbak’s CEO Julie Kouhia said Thursday.

However, in November, real estate developer Green Partners told Molbak’s it was no longer part of the project, and the agreement to include Molbak’s in The Gardens District was terminated.

Green Partners is associated with Cascade Investment, a holding company operated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ Cascade Asset Management Company.

In November, Cascade told Seattle radio station KUOW it never planned to remove Molbak’s from its current location.

“While Cascade is no longer planning to develop the Gardens District, we had been negotiating with Mr. Molbak toward the inclusion of his family’s business as a key feature of a possible future Gardens District,” Cascade said in a statement to KUOW. “However, Mr. Molbak upended the discussions even in the face of Cascade’s offer of concessions, including free rent. We expect that the Gardens District will serve the needs of Woodinville, regardless of what Molbak’s decides is in its interest.”

Kouhia said the store’s goal over the next few weeks is to “close down with integrity and in a manner that honors our employees, vendors and customers. We also want to find a way to celebrate the history, impact and joy of Molbak’s along the way.”

Kouhia also thanked Woodinville city officials and the City Council for their support.

The family-owned home and garden store has been described as a Woodinville mainstay.

Located just across the Snohomish County line, it’s long been a destination for gardeners and homeowners in Snohomish County.

Since Molbak’s first announced plans to close in December, “fans have been rallying around the garden center on social media,” Kouhia said. “As we begin our final chapter, we’re lifted up by the love being sent our way. We don’t know what the future holds, but we hope there is a way for Molbak’s to live on in gardens, homes and hearts throughout the Northwest.”

The store was established in 1956 by Egon and Laina Molbak, who immigrated to rural Woodinville from Denmark that same year.

They brought with them a “passion for gardening and the dream of creating their own business,” the company said.

Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @JanicePods.