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Quarterly economic update: Amazon project, housing shortfall and $3 million grant for Shiloh Inn redevelopment
Summary
Economic development staff reported on a major Amazon-related project ("Project 310") involving local subcontractors, cited a housing needs estimate (about 6,000 homes over 20 years, ~300/year), and said the county secured a $3 million grant to move forward on the Shiloh Inn hotel redevelopment.
Randy Cox delivered the Klamath County quarterly economic update on Dec. 11, describing multiple private- and public-sector projects the county is tracking and supporting.
Cox described an Amazon-related site, identified in discussion as 'Project 310,' as roughly a $20 million project that ramped quickly and used primarily local subcontractors such as Rocky Mountain Construction, Atkins Engineering and Knife River. He said the site is expected to employ about 150 people on-site and that related projects could create roughly 300 jobs countywide.
On housing, Cox cited a recent housing-needs analysis showing the county needs about 6,000 homes over the next 20 years — an average of about 300 homes per year — and contrasted that with earlier 2019 estimates. He also said wage growth over the last five years has pushed housing demand into a broader price range, which affects the kinds of houses builders can profitably construct.
Cox described 'Project Switch,' the Shiloh Inn redevelopment (planned to become a Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites), as a major tourism-oriented upgrade. He told the board the county recently secured a $3,000,000 grant to advance that project and discussed subgroups working on recreational and infrastructure elements for the broader site, including trail connections and wetlands considerations.
Other items in the update included surveying and permitting work for a Windcoast site (targeting Q1 2025 for permits), planning for an economic summit addressing AI and high-tech agriculture, and a reminder that the county’s three-year economic development services contract is due to end in June 2025; Cox urged starting renewal discussions early to avoid an RFP if a contract extension is allowable.
No formal board actions were recorded during the update; commissioners discussed contract-extension language and asked staff to pull current contracts and confirm extension options.
The work session adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
