Press release from the City of Eureka:

The City of Eureka is pleased to announce the first annexation of land into the City limits since the 1980s. The property annexed includes the California Redwood Company property, also known as Brainard, as well as the adjacent railroad right-of-way and a portion of Highway 101 South. The property is the industrial site on the opposite side of US 101 from Mid-City Motor World.

Since the late 1990s, one of the City’s goals has been to identify “turn-key industrial sites” and to stimulate the creation of new industrial/manufacturing jobs. The Brainard Annexation area is zoned General Industrial and is larger than any undeveloped, industrially-zoned area in the City and has the potential to be developed with a variety of industrial and manufacturing uses.

In November, 2016, the property owner, California Redwood Company, applied to annex the land into the City limits. Following adoption by the Eureka City Council and approval by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), the annexation process was completed in the summer of 2019.

“We would like to thank the city staff for their work to complete this annexation. While we do not have immediate plans for the 76-acre property, the annexation will help facilitate future development that will provide local jobs”, said Jason Carlson, Vice President and General Manager for California Redwood Company.

Annexation of Brainard will enhance the economic vitality of the City by providing new opportunities for economic development including industrial and manufacturing businesses, as well as the range of other business types currently permitted in the City’s General Industrial zone district. In conjunction with the property owner, the City has the opportunity to create a vision for the site by determining the types of uses desired for the site.

Depending on the future development and types of uses that locate on the site, increases in property and sales tax revenue could be realized. In addition, the site has great potential to create a significant number of jobs, which would have an indirect impact on the City’s economy and revenue.