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New financing district will propel development in Humboldt County’s Samoa peninsula

By Sonia Waraich, Eureka Times-Standard, April 1, 2022

“Offshore wind, a sustainable fish farm, and a high-speed fiber optic cable are just a few of the projects expected to come to the Samoa peninsula’s shores in the coming years, and the community is preparing to capitalize on that development.

“[In March, Humboldt County] established the Samoa Peninsula Enhanced Infrastructure Finance District, which will capture tax revenue generated from new development within approximately 2,243 acres of land south of the Samoa Bridge for 45 years. Those funds will be used for infrastructure improvements on the peninsula for years to come and aren’t reserved exclusively for traditional infrastructure such as roads and bridges, Humboldt County Economic Development director Scott Adair told the Times-Standard.

“The county conservatively estimates that development that’s already in the works could lead to 198 housing units, over 700 construction jobs, and nearly $1 billion in economic output from construction over the decade.

“Adair said the investment in Humboldt County in the next decade could be far greater than that, reaching into the billions.

“Those funds can be used for the planned development as well as a variety of other projects, from creating a public park to building affordable housing.

“Samoa’s finance district will disburse the funds through a grant program with a public process for reviewing requests, Adair said.”

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