Coronado is set to lose its iconic Coronado Flower Lady, and no one is saying why.
Shanel Albert — otherwise known as the Coronado Flower Lady — learned last week that she would no longer be allowed to operate her business at the Rotary Plaza on Orange Avenue at Isabella, where it’s flourished since 1981. She posted a letter from the City on local social media group, Coronado Happenings.
The letter, signed by Molly Brennan, Interim Deputy City Manager, said that Albert’s commercial use permit was set to expire on August 31. The email read, “You must cease conducting commercial activity on public property and vacate the premises before the permit expires.”
Albert says she was shocked. She’s owned the business for the last 10 years. The decades-old establishment is celebrated on the island for its quiet, neighborhood appeal and is considered by many to be the quintessential embodiment of small town charm.
“I was blown away,” said Albert. “I was trying to think, what did I do? What happened? I’ve been following all the rules and regulations.”
Albert said that, up until the letter, everything was going well. She said that until the last year, there was no formal rental agreement. She simply went to the city and paid a few months at a time. This is the way it had always been done, she said.
About a year ago, under new leadership, the city formalized the rental agreement, which was set up with her bank for reoccurring payments. Albert says she’s current on all of her debts, aside from a city-issued, small business COVID loan that she is paying off in monthly installments.
“There was never an issue,” she said. “There was never anything unpaid.”
Albert said just last month she’d been in discussions with a city employee about extending her lease for another five years. She said the employee asked her if she would be open to having other businesses operate at the Rotary Plaza, and Albert said she had no problem with this.
“I feel like they want another business there,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me, and why would they ever want to use the iconic flower shop?”
The issue was reportedly decided at a closed session of Coronado City Council last month. The Coronado Times sent emails to Mayor John Duncan and all of the Coronado City Councilmembers, specifically asking if the Coronado Flower Lady had violated the terms of her lease.
No one from the city answered this question, and the only council member to respond was Amy Steward. She said she could not share anything beyond what she had previously emailed a community member, which had been subsequently posted to Coronado Happenings.
Steward said there were “extenuating circumstances” that she was not at liberty to discuss.
“Her lease is up, and the city has decided to leave the area as a park for the time being,” she wrote in the email. “If we decide to reopen the space to a business, she will be welcome to apply.”
Steward added, “It is sad that it has come to this.”
The Coronado Times asked Steward if Albert was current on her rental payments but did not get a response.
Kaylee Ricci, the city’s communication and engagement officer, shared that the Flower Lady’s permit is reaching it’s conclusion, and is set to expire on August 31.
“The city is returning the park to its full public use while considering potential for the future,” said Ricci. “No decisions have been made and the city is interested in the community’s ideas.”
She said future use could include greater public amenities, other community use, or limited commercial uses, as it is extremely rare for the city to grant private commercial use of public space.
Ricci said that there is no existing litigation involving the Coronado Flower Lady, and that the city will not comment on individual financial and contractual matters.
“The city equally values preserving the charm and character of the park and may consider this, along with other possibilities, as it looks to complement the vibrance of downtown,” she wrote. “This natural conclusion of the permit allows for careful consideration of the future of Rotary Park.”
This is devastating news for Albert, who has enjoyed under-the-market rent at Rotary Plaza, along with her predecessors — the original Coronado Flower Lady, Diana Gurney, who set up shop in 1981, and Debbie Otto-Smith who took over in 2000.
Albert started looking at other locations, but the prices are “astronomical,” she said. Albert shared that her current rent is $1,200 a month, and many of the other locations are more than $6,000.
“It’s my livelihood, and you know, I’ve done really well with it,” she said. “People love flowers, and they come here, and they say…’you are so lucky.’ And I am lucky, but it’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”
Albert says her love of flowers and nature brought her to the business more than a decade ago when she worked at another flower shop for free to gain experience. Then in 2015 she began working for Otto-Smith, the previous flower lady, who sold Albert the shop a year later.
“She saw my passion and sold it to me,” said Albert. “It’s really special. It’s been a huge blessing.”
But it hasn’t always been a bed of roses. In 2017, a drunk driver crashed onto Rotary Plaza, demolishing the flower cart. No one was hurt, and the accident enabled Albert to negotiate the build-out of a permanent flower stand with the city. She says this cost her about $30,000, but she was happy to have it.
She tried a couple other concepts around town, including a pumpkin patch and a Christmas tree farm that got wiped out in a winter storm. But it was always about the flower shop.
Albert says the flower stand has become the heartbeat of the community. It’s where the Navy wives come to buy flowers, it’s where countless arrangements are made to celebrate life’s happenings and honor passings. She says she’s able to help the community with her creations, including working with nonprofits and supporting first responders.
And it’s not just about the flowers. Albert says there are people that stop by just to talk to her employee, Mason. And oftentimes visitors treat the flower cart like a visitor center.
“It’s like the first stop for every tourist,” said Albert. “Before they go to the visitor center, they come to me. I send them to restaurants and I tell them where everything is.”
It makes the city’s decision sting a little more.
“I mean, I just can’t believe it, unless there was something crazy going down, like I was drug dealing or something, or selling alcohol. I can understand some criminal stuff,” said Albert. “But I’m like, dude, I’m selling flowers.”
Community members have expressed confusion and anger on social media over the city’s decision.
“I’ve lived here my entire life and have slowly watched my hometown go from almost exclusively small, locally-owned businesses to being dominated by chains and big corporations,” wrote Jonah Haas. “This seems to me like a concerted effort to continue down this road.”
Karen Zekan mourns the loss of a local legacy.
“Diana Gurney fought so hard to create the original flower stand, and Debbie Otto-Smith poured her heart and soul into keeping that business a thriving, economic success,” she wrote. “What a shallow, egocentric, shameful move by an ill-minded city.”
Other residents are confused by the city’s decision. Resident Dot Harms said that it didn’t seem fair, given what other local shops and vendors are able to do with their storefronts.
“We let hordes of clothes and racks, bins of cheap beach toys and sandwich boards clutter blocks of Orange Avenue but the iconic, beautiful flower cart has to go?” asked Harms. “Please tell me there is a justifiable reason behind what appears to be a very sad decision.”
For now, Albert is asking the community to join together to support the Coronado Flower Lady.
“I don’t need money. I don’t need help with debts. I don’t need any of that,” she said. “I just need everyone in the community to come together and let City Council know that this is what we want. It’s to have a flower shop that’s been here so long. It’s sweet and everyone loves it.”
The next Coronado City Council meeting is August 18 at 4 p.m. at City Hall.
We used to come to Coronado for a week every June,July, and August.Since the 1980’s!!
MC P’s, The sand castle guy, SWIMMING in the ocean, seafood,Bay Books, the FLower Lady..all such iconic parts of our good memories..we don’t come as often anymore.
The dirty water means we are not comfortable swimming there anymore. ANd every few months it seems another bad decision is made that impacts the best parts of Coronado, in our opinion.
Not sure how much longer we’ll be visiting.We’ve still come to enjoy the village,the library, the seafood, the iconic beauty, just no swimming, and usually not in summer anymore.. now this loss of such a beautiful part of Orange Ave..the Flower Lady!! is just a real blow..
What the heck has happened to Coronado?????
What a shame! My family has felt like we found a secret gem in Coronado with the Flower Lady being a shining example of why the island is distinctive from other vacation options. I’m very disturbed by the secrecy of this decision and the short notice given to an iconic local business. We will take our money elsewhere if the island devolves into another tourist trap of t-shirt stores and cheap knick knacks. Please rescind this decision.
What concerns me the most is the secrecy surrounding the decision by the Coronado City Council. Why? I agree with all the comments and very sad to see an iconic and wonderful business leaving Coronado.
I agree with all of these comments. Please rethink this decision and bring back a beautiful business in which all benefit. Why the secrecy Coronado City Council??
Does this mean the city will also abolish all of the outdoor dining areas that are currently taking up space on the public sidewalks?
As a resident of both France and Coronado, I learned that the operating permit for the iconic Flower Lady is ending and will not be renewed. The community, myself included, is shocked and saddened, and wants this lovely Coronado business that has been a part of our village for decades to remain in its current location. What a find for those driving along Orange Avenue, or visiting the first time. It gives the island a bit of European flair, which I personally deeply love. My mom recently passed after living most of her adult life in Coronado and I know she would be devastated. Sun Flowersw from the Flower Lady were a staple in her home.
I’m seeing more and more island businesses and cultural touchstones being shuttered on the island, which reduces the feel and look of community. Elected leaders on the island should listen to their constituents, and read the outcry from so many on social media platforms.
Residents are planning to attend the next city council meeting on the 18th to voice their opposition and concern. I wrote to the mayor, as well. My initial question, why was the decision made in darkness, i.e., kept from the public? Additionally, why was the letter from the city to the editor in the Jornal so nebulous and without substantial explanation?
I remain hopeful this decision will be reversed, and the p e o p l e of Coronado will prevail, the constituents the elected city council members serve. Save the Coronado Flower Lady. ❁
You just said it – ELECTED leaders. Knowing how your city council & all others “in charge” of running your city operate – what they legally CAN do & CANNOT do is the only way to control the path Coronado is going down. This includes who is in charge of the sewage problem that affects the “island”.
Coronado is about to lose a little piece of its soul.
For more than 40 years, the Flower Lady has been a constant on Orange Avenue at Rotary Plaza — a bright, fragrant landmark that somehow made the whole island feel more like a small town. Through five different owners, the stand has been there for last-minute “just because” bouquets, anniversary surprises, wedding flowers, and quiet moments when someone simply needed a little beauty.
Shanel Albert, the current Flower Lady, has poured her heart into that spot for the last decade. She rebuilt after a car crashed through it. She showed up every morning with fresh blooms. She became one of those rare local fixtures you take for granted until the day they’re gone.
Now the city’s commercial permit is ending, and the stand will be gone after August 31. Whatever the official reasons, the loss is real.
We’ll miss the color on that corner. We’ll miss the simple joy of walking by and seeing buckets of flowers under the trees. We’ll miss knowing there was always a friendly face ready with a bouquet when you needed one.
In a place that prides itself on charm and community, this one hits different. Some things don’t need to be replaced or “reimagined.” Sometimes the best thing a town can do is simply keep the things that already make it special.
The Flower Lady will be missed. And Coronado will feel a little less like itself without her.
We don’t live on Coronado but have visited for 6 weeks every year for the past several and plan to continue to do so. The flower shop is one of the many unique and special touches that makes Coronado so appealing. This news is distressing for more than one reason. The absence of this shop, from the standpoint of a visitor, will detract from the overall vibe that is Coronado. But more importantly, this decision was made “behind closed doors”. Why? The citizenry of Coronado must be concerned when decisions like this are made in secret and obviously intentionally kept from residents.
Hopefully, public outcry will prevail and this subterfuge that is detrimental to the will of the residents will cease.
This is really terrible to just evict The Flower Lady without any explanation. That stand is one of the few local, charming businesses in Coronado.
If the city is looking for another vendor or wants more rent, why not explain, and put the space up for a public bid? Backroom decisions are usually kept out of the public light precisely because they are not honest decisions. If the City has nothing to hide, why the secrecy?
This has been a community building fixture, not just a business. This was impersonal and shady. She deserved better. Closed door moves as usual.
It is my understanding that, in a Democratic Republic, elected officials are supposed to the will of the people, by the people and for the people. So I pose a question to the city council: how many Coronado residents have sent you requests to get rid of the Flower Lady? Please be prepared to show receipts of the resident’s displeasure with this business. I’m guessing there aren’t many; at least not from the folks that live here. Corporate planners, however, may be a different story with those oh-so-slippery dollar bills sliding into pockets on the dais.
Molly Brennen. Molly Brennen. Molly Brennen. The Flower Lady has the finest florals and arrangements. I’d say a man signed this. Someone with no history of putting together quality flowers, arrangements, love stories, simple beauty. Someone with no need or taste. But. . . no. . . it’s a woman. A woman with out history. Short sighted and hungry for their future in politics. Molly Brennen. Molly, let me tell you what I see in your strategy. “Rushing a ruling with no notice is a power tactic used to control the outcome. It exploits the cognitive overload, starved opposition of time to organize, and forces a reactive state. By weaponizing urgency, the decision maker bypasses deep scrutiny and reduces the chance of meaningful resistance.” Molly Brennen, Molly Brennen, Molly Brennen. This move is distasteful, hurtful to local Coronado residents and transparent. Reminds me of a park with a last minute announcement of a deer hunt. Molly Brennen, Molly Brennen, Molly Brennen.
I agree with all these comments! I wonder if a petition to keep the stand has already been done AND would even help? It was definitely convenient too to have a “drive up” flower stand! So said that the “small town feel” is being eradicated by bureaucracy!
This is AWFUL news. I’m shaking my head. Been in Coronado since 1977 and watched the business begin. It was part of Coronado! First the sand castle an and now the flower lady. What’s next to go away, the hotel del to become a holiday in?
I think it’s time to clean house, from the Mayor/City Council on down to the lowly City Mgmt. team. Start over, as they have totally mismanaged the city by shooting first and aiming second. I suspect it’s all about commercial investment. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lease it to FTD Flowers, or propose another Coronado Shores high rise.
💯+ One example, Carrie Downey. A quick search reveals she alone has served some 18 years in Coronado. Adding the completed service:
• 2004–2012: 8 years
• 2014–2018: 4 years
• 2022–present (mid‑2026): about 3.5 years so far
If she completes the current 4‑year term, it will total about 18 years of service on the Coronado City Council.
When did these positions become life-long gigs? It’s ’public service;’ serve once or twice and give new people with different perspectives and experience a turn. It seems a bit narcissistic to think only you are capable to run the city.
Please reconsider your decision, Council! You’re erasing a time honored tradition of charming village ambiance amongst the flowers. Be transparent to the residents of Coronado and Shanel Albert.
Thank you for a beautifully written and eye-opening article, Christine.
Coronado Flower Lady is part of Coronado We need it to stay & to continue to beautify the island
This is heartbreaking. I always stopped by the flower stop. It made Coronado still feel small town. If they are taking down the flower stand are they going to take all the racks down on Orange Avenue in front of the stores?
Very sad that she would be asked to leave. She beautifies Orange Ave with her flowers. What a shame.
This story is so sad. Coronado at that end is full of tourist trap stores that sell chinese crap. Literally on the sidewalks while the flower lady’s business is not impeding on the sidewalks. This is a shady deal. I hope it gets reversed.
The City Council WORKS for Coronado residents…. They should not go against the wishes of the residents unilaterally without disclosing FULLY their decision making. If there is a legitimate reason to terminate the contract, we, the people of Coronado MUST be part of that decision. This cloak and dagger decision only fuels speculation.