Humboldt County supervisors on June 9 approved buying the former Kmart property at 4325 Broadway Street in Eureka, but not without objections about tsunami exposure, access and maintenance.
The board voted 4-1 to move ahead with the purchase, with Supervisor Rex Bohn voting no, according to the meeting record and transcript-based summary. Public Works told the board the site could become a future one-stop permitting center and could also house county operations including public works, planning and building, environmental services and, potentially, weights and measures.
During the public hearing, county staff and commenters raised concerns about the property’s location in or near the tsunami hazard area, as well as questions about how the county would maintain the building and whether it could accommodate expected uses. Despite those concerns, the majority of supervisors approved the acquisition.
The purchase advances a major facilities decision for county offices in Eureka and follows the county’s broader facilities planning work, including the 2020 Facilities Master Plan referenced in the meeting materials.
The board also heard its fiscal 2026-27 proposed budget presentation later in the meeting, but the Broadway Street purchase was the most consequential action tied to county property planning that day.
