A massive and unique plant store in the northern suburbs is slated to close next week if the owner doesn’t find a new location.
Neal Weiss says the Jungle of Niles lost its lease and he’s back to square one after a promising deal fizzled.
The 115,000-square-foot-space has about 15,000 plants, he estimates.
That’s about a quarter of their normal supply - plus 100 small birds, dozens of large koi fish and six tortoises that live in the store in the Golf Glen Mart Plaza in Niles.
Nancy Harty
A Go Fund Me campaign has raised more than $19,000 but Weiss estimates just moving everything would cost at least $70,000.
Debbie from Buffalo Grove says she’s disappointed she only recently learned about the store.
She brought her granddaughter Olive to feed the birds and they walked out with a houseplant.
Weiss says the store is much more about community than profit.
That’s a sentiment he hopes will help him during his next eviction court hearing August 7.
