Humboldt supervisors approve purchase of former Kmart site for county services campus

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on June 9 voted 4–1 to authorize the county to purchase the former Kmart property at 4325 Broadway in Eureka for use as a consolidated county services campus.

The motion, made by Chair Mike Wilson and seconded on the floor, directs the Public Works director to execute a purchase agreement for the roughly 8-acre lot and its approximately 55,000-square-foot building. The board approved the motion with Supervisors Bushnell, Aoyo, Madron and Chair Wilson voting yes and Supervisor Bone voting no.

County staff presented a conceptual plan that would relocate planning, building, public works, environmental health and weights-and-measures functions into a single location to create a “one-stop permitting” center. Officials said co‑locating services could free up leased downtown office space and reduce long-term facilities costs. Public Works described the property as having as many as 237 parking spaces and a fenced rear yard suitable for motor pool and equipment storage.

Stephen, a county employee who spoke during the hearing, urged the board to reconsider placing critical county services in a site mapped within the county’s tsunami hazard area and said the property lacked nearby transit access for employees. Other public commenters suggested alternative short-term uses — including temporary animal control or services for people experiencing homelessness — and asked the board to weigh long-term maintenance costs.

“Whenever tsunami alerts go out, the facility would need to be evacuated,” Stephen told the supervisors, adding that inspectors and mapping staff could lose access to vehicles and facilities post‑event.

Public Works staff acknowledged the site sits at the edge of the mapped tsunami zone and said the county is exploring structural strengthening and evacuation planning. Staff also noted the property previously hosted a bus stop when the retail tenant was active.

Supervisor Bone cast the lone no vote, saying he could not support buying another building while some county‑owned properties lack routine maintenance. “Unless I get a commitment that we’re going to take care of the buildings we have … I can’t say, ‘Yeah, let’s do this,’ ” he said.

Chair Wilson and other supervisors said the purchase would create swing space to allow renovation or sale of higher‑value downtown holdings and could reduce future rental costs. Several supervisors urged staff to accelerate planning and phasing to move departments into the property sooner rather than later.

The board authorized staff to finalize the purchase agreement, complete required environmental review and return with the final resolution and closing steps.

What’s next: staff will finalize the purchase agreement, complete a CEQA/SEQUENT determination if required, and return to the board with the final resolution and escrow/closing schedule.