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Behold! Your first look at conceptual designs for the big, fancy new public health laboratory that the county plans to build on the corner of I and Wood streets, directly across from its beleaguered old Clark Complex.

This morning, at a meeting of Eureka’s Design Review Committee, Humboldt County Construction Projects Manager Jake Johnson delivered an informational presentation on the lab project alongside folks from the SoCal engineering firm HDR, which is designing the facility.

The county’s existing laboratory — one of just 29 public health labs left in the California — is housed in a repurposed, nearly century-old building and aging modular units that, collectively, don’t provide enough space or power to run modern equipment, county staff has said.

In a recent funding request, the Department of Health and Humans Services (DHHCS) argued, “Replacing an outdated building with a modern public health laboratory is essential to protecting the environment and people of Northern California.” 

This morning, Johnson outlined the importance of the public lab, saying it provides testing services and support for local community health providers to help diagnose and control communicable diseases and promote a healthy environment.

“The lab also plays a key role in emergency preparedness by providing testing services, training and support for other area laboratories,” he said.

The price tag for the new lab was previously projected to be $26.4 million, with a target completion date of Halloween 2027. However, DHHS spokesperson Christine Messinger tells the Outpost today that the cost estimate and construction timeline are now being updated. New figures should be available next week, she said. 

This project has been in the works since before the pandemic. In January 2024 the county purchased two contiguous lots on I Street.

Last March the county landed a $2,150,000 CDC grant explicitly for this project, but that funding was later rescinded by DOGE. 

Johnson said the new lab will typically be occupied by about 14 staffers, with minimal access by non-employees, primarily for drop off of samples, occasional meetings with outside groups and vendors and deliveries to and from local hospitals.

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HDR’s principal designer on the project, Adeline Morin, came up from Los Angeles along with Project Manager Ken Sumner. They presented a series of slides showing the building plans from multiple angles and discussed various aspects of the design.

Administrative offices will be located on the ground floor with lab facilities mostly upstairs. The building is designed with energy sustainability features, and Morin said photovoltaic panels can be added down the line.

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Morin said her firm chose the blue exterior color and extensive wood elements indoors after examining many reference images of Eureka. 

“We didn’t want anything to stand out,” she said.

On the Wood Street side, which faces a residential area, the design incorporates vegetation and what Morin described as “a natural curve” on the exterior wall. This side also includes the employee vehicle entrance.

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The entry doorway for employees and deliveries will be located on the opposite side:

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This morning’s presentation was something of a formality since the county is exempt from city design standards. The project received a general plan conformance review from the city in 2022. That review determined that a public health lab is principally permitted on the site. 

You can watch the full hearing below, should you so desire.