Philip and Vicki Yates own a half block of Midtown Oregon City, between on John Adams Street between 7^th and 8^th Streets. Included in that property is the Singer Hill Building.  They started the Singer Hill Cafe in 2007. 

Starting in 2009, they made a decision to work towards creating businesses on their property that will form the basis of a financially self-reliant, cooperatively-owned, property-tax-paying community center that practices and promotes community building through urban agriculture. 

Their first efforts in the direction was the Singer Hill CSA Gardens (spring of 2009), the Singer Hill Demonstration Garden (summer of 2009), and some intial vertical gardens (summer of 2009). 

 In January 2010, they rented a part of their building to a new horticulture-related use, a hydroponic and exotic store called NW Hydroponics. 

 In July 2010, an Art Garden opened next to the Singer Hill Building.  The Art Garden will house the creations of the Vertical Garden Institute, a new non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting vertical gardens in Oregon (and beyond).  The Art Garden is also a venue for a Sunday market and other events.