The popular Yoga on Center studio is looking for a new home after its proprietors Jenn Russo and Katina Knapp received word that their lease would not be renewed and they’d have to clear out of their Center Street location by Dec. 31.
After a year of having to keep their beloved yoga studio shuttered due to COVID-19, Russo and Knapp have reopened and resumed classes again — at first offering outdoor classes and now returning to indoor classes — and were getting back into the rhythm of things until they received an unexpected notice from their location’s property manager.
“Now we’ve reopened and they (customers) are all coming back and they’re so happy, and then we’re told we have to leave,” Russo said.
Russo and Knapp have owned the business at 401 Center Street C for 11 years and prior to that, the studio had been operating there for six years. Before it was Yoga on Center, it was Sunflower Dance and Yoga, so the space has served as a yoga studio for 30 plus years, according to Russo.
“Two weeks ago I got an email from our property manager saying that our lease ends at the end of this year on Dec. 31 and they’ve decided to not renew and we need to vacate the premises by Dec. 31,” Russo said. “We were shocked because we’ve always paid our rent on time. We were physically closed for a year during COVID, but we still paid our rent on time every month. A lot of studios walked away from their lease and shut down, but we wanted to ensure that we saved our space so that we have a place for the community to come.”
She said they tried to negotiate the lease with their property manager, but to no avail.
Knapp said they even wrote to the property manager, explaining why they kept the studio open despite the pandemic and how they did whatever they could to keep it open for the community.
She said after they sent their letter they received a response from a lawyer representing the property manager saying they shouldn’t contact the property manager further, and that the decision was final.
SoCoNews reached out to the lawyer at the offices of Beyers Costin Attorneys via email, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
“It sounds like a definite decision by the owners and the property manager,” Russo said.
Russo said there was little reason as to why the building owners and property manager did not want to renew their lease, except that they allegedly said they don’t want to rent the top floor of the building to “exercise people.”
“As anyone who comes here knows, we are much more than exercise people, it’s more like health and wellbeing. I saw a student yesterday and she told me that we were her lifeline during COVID and many of our students have said that,” Russo said.
During the early days of COVID, Russo and Knapp held Zoom classes from the studio. Before the pandemic, they had “pay what you can” classes every weekday and they also offered free yoga classes for teens and participated in several fundraisers.
They opened a second location in Cloverdale, but have since closed it due to the pandemic.
“We’ve been hearing so many lovely things from everyone saying ‘you’ve helped us so much,’ so we really need to find a way to keep this going,” Knapp said.
Knapp is trying to keep a positive outlook and said the move will certainly get them out of their comfort zone.
“We’ve been here for many years, we’ve created this comfortable space, so maybe this is something like kicking us to get out of our comfort zone and maybe expand on wellness. We’re trying to figure out a way we can maybe pair with other wellness people, so there’s different things we might combine with this if we have to,” Knapp said.
Knapp and Russo said they thought they found an alternative location in town, however, it was rented out to someone else before they could snag it.
“We’re looking, but there’s not a lot (of options),” Russo said. Knapp said finding a new space has also proven difficult since the cost of renting in Healdsburg is so high.
If needed, Russo and Knapp can set up an interim yoga studio at the Healdsburg Community Center, however, that’s only if they don’t find a new location in time. They said they do have realtors looking for a new space for them.
Nevertheless, leaving the space behind is bit bittersweet — Knapp and Russo met each other while taking classes at the studio before they owned it.
Knapp also said of their studio, “It just relieves stress and is such an amazing place. We really need to continue to have a yoga studio in Healdsburg.”
Russo said when they do find a new place, they’ll let people know through their email mailing list and social media.
“The hope is that we find something soon and we’re ready to go by Jan. 1,” Russo said.
She said they’ve always offered free yoga classes on New Year’s Day and they hope to be able to do that in the new year.
