Amid the sprawling tennis courts, busy swimming pools, and rustic clubhouse, a transformation is underway at the Harbor Bay Club.
In October 2025, Malyka Chop purchased the eight-acre property at the foot of Packet Landing Road that has been home to the fitness club for nearly five decades, dating back to the creation of Harbor Bay Isle starting in the late 1970s. Chop is the owner and CEO of Small Size Big Mind Infant Care and Preschool, which currently operates three campuses across Alameda’s main island. Chop intends to open a new campus at the Harbor Bay Club and, in doing so, bring about much-needed updates to the Club’s facilities and offerings.
When he saw that the Club was listed for sale by its previous owners, the Harbor Bay Club Associates, he leapt at the opportunity with the intention of renovating the existing clubhouse building to create classrooms and learning spaces. According to Chop, the building has a previously approved use permit that allows the operation of a school, which helps streamline the planning process.
The location is highly desirable, not just because of the breathtaking views of the San Francisco skyline, but also because it would bring a new childcare option to Bay Farm families and help reduce waitlists at its existing locations. Parents could drop off their kids at preschool, park and work out at the club, and then go to work, Chop suggested.
“There is a ton of overlap,” he added. “It is a net positive beyond the initial parts.”…