The northeast corner (Third and G streets) of the Eureka Regional Transit & Housing Center. | Rendering via the City of Eureka.

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Nearly four years after it was approved by the Eureka City Council, the EaRTH Center has finally secured the funding needed to move ahead to construction. If everything goes according to plan, the city will break ground on the four-story housing and transit development in spring 2026.

“The EaRTH Center represents the kind of integrated, community-focused development that Danco is committed to delivering,” Danco Communities Project Manager McKenze Dibble said in a press release issued this morning. “By pairing affordable housing with improved public transit, we are helping to build a more connected, equitable, and sustainable future for Eureka.”

The EaRTH Center, short for the Eureka Regional Transit & Housing Center, will replace two city-owned parking lots on Third Street between G and H streets, behind Lost Coast Brewery. The development will host the Humboldt Transit Authority’s regional transportation hub on its ground floor, plus five commercial spaces for businesses. The upper floors will feature 45 residential units designated for low- and very-low-income households, including three studios, 18 one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments, plus one two-bedroom unit for on-site staff. 

The project, a partnership between the City of Eureka and the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA), has changed quite a bit since it was first approved in February 2022 by the city council. 

When plans for the EaRTH Center were drawn up several years ago, the development was billed as a 30-unit housing project for students and traveling medical staff. At that time, the city was working with Cal Poly Humboldt and Servitas, a student housing management company, to create housing for incoming students, but the plans eventually fell through due to expenses. 

“We’ve had three different iterations of what we’ve planned on doing there,” City Manager Miles Slattery told the Outpost. “And then we reached out to Danco and [Danco President] Chris Dart, and they have been amazing partners, along with their architect, Garrett [McSorely]. They’ve brought this to reality based on their expertise, but also their desire to work with HTA to build a transit center.”

The HTA has secured over $12 million in grant funding for the project from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the SB 1 Program.

Design review is complete, but Danco still has to secure a few building permits before the city can break ground on the project. Construction is slated to begin in May of 2026 and wrap before the end of 2027.

Asked is the city is still looking into the possibility of building a parking garage across the street from the EaRTH Center — on the southwest lot at Third and G streets, where the old City Hall used to be — Slattery said the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is working on a feasibility study to assess the parking need in downtown/Old Town Eureka.

More information can be found in the following press release from the Danco Group:

Eureka, CA — The Danco Group is proud to announce that the Eureka Transit Housing Center, also known as the EaRTH Center, has officially secured its final portion of tax credit funding, clearing the way for construction to begin on one of Eureka’s most transformative community projects in decades.

Developed in partnership with the City of Eureka and the Humboldt Transit Authority, the EaRTH Center will convert a city-owned parking lot between G and H Streets in Old Town Eureka into a vibrant, mixed-use hub that integrates sustainable multimodal transportation infrastructure, community services, and high-quality affordable housing.

“I’m thrilled to see this project advance! We are so excited to have a beautiful new Transit Center in downtown Eureka that blends transit infrastructure with new housing and office space. This will add to the vibrancy of the County’s seat in Eureka. Huge thanks to everyone who has made this possible,” said Natalie Arroyo, Chairperson of the Humboldt Transit Authority Board of Directors.

Originally conceived as student housing, the EaRTH Center has evolved over the past three years to meet the region’s growing need for low-income and very-low-income housing. The four-story development will include:

  • 45 affordable housing units (3 studios, 18 one-bedrooms, 13 two-bedrooms, 12 three- bedrooms), plus 1 two-bedroom unit for on-site staff. 
  • A multimodal hub on the ground floor bringing together public transit, bicycle, scooter, pedestrian, rideshare, taxi, Amtrak, and other mobility services. Six leasable commercial spaces for local businesses
  • Affordable housing amenities to include a community room and fitness center, outdoor second-floor patio playground, community laundry and study room on each residential floor, secure indoor bicycle storage on ground floor and floors 3 & 4, on-site management office, and lobby
  • Enhancing Mobility and Sustainable Infrastructure

The project also introduces key improvements to Eureka’s transportation network:

  • Improved bus stop infrastructure on H Street and 3rd Street for safety and accessibility.
  • A Class 1 bike lane on H St between 3rd and 4th streets will help connect the Bay Trail to the H St bike trail
  • The transportation hub that will facilitate seamless transfers across all intercity and intercounty routes operating in the County
  • Bicycle lane improvements and striping on H Street to connect with the City’s recent projects.
  • New restrooms, water-filling station, and a place to stop and enjoy as part of your commute.

The Humboldt Transit Authority is contributing over $12 million in grant funding from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, sponsored by the California State Transportation Agency with funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the SB 1 Program.

“The EaRTH Center represents the kind of integrated, community-focused development that Danco is committed to delivering,” said McKenze Dibble, Project Manager for Danco Communities. “By pairing affordable housing with improved public transit, we are helping to build a more connected, equitable, and sustainable future for Eureka.”

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