BHP’s announcement of an additional $6.4 billion funding for Phase 2 of the Jansen project speaks a strong confidence in both the mines development and its ongoing feasibility. That funding means that Phase 2 of the project will be going ahead, extending the need for construction workers at the same time as production workers are in place for the first run of potash projected for 2026. That will mean undeniable growth for the city of Humboldt and surrounding area. Preparations have been underway to accommodate the growth in terms of housing and infrastructure.
With the latest announcement, those efforts will be revisited and intensified, says mayor Michael Behiel of the city of Humboldt. “To say that I’m pleased is an understatement,” Behiel said on hearing the news. “BHP has proven once again their commitment to our region and to our city. They’ve done nothing but be stellar corporate examples from day one. Their shepherding and guidance, along with their commitment, has been top notch.”
Among the processes begun by the city with BHP’s phase 1 development was the expansion of the wastewater containment and infrastructure. The lagoon project was a necessity to meet the needs of population growth and Humboldt’s physical expansion. “Now we’re moving forward with incentives for developers and builders to try and get additional housing starts going and in place in time for the anticipating influx of people,” Behiel says. “That’s not just incentives for higher cost housing, but for lower cost housing that will help to address some of the lower income earners coming as a result of the expansion.”
With the second phase funding announcement, Director of the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce Fitzpatrick says the business community is able to move forward confidently. “I really think what the community sees is a long-term stability. As Jansen Phase 1 was waiting to come online, there was a lot of hesitancy with businesses because it still wasn’t there. Now with Phase 2 as an extension of that construction, business owners and landowners can look at it and go, ‘There’s 10 years where there’s going to be a lot of money floating around our businesses.”
As far as housing is concerned, Fitzpatrick likens it to a chicken and egg scenario where there is now an egg, but there may not be a place to put it. “The conservative estimate now is about 600 roofs; we need that many just to satiate what is coming in the next three to four years.” With the extension of the build time into Phase 2, Fitzpatrick says it’s critical to see that real estate investment come into the city.
For Mayor Behiel, it’s a partnership with BHP carrying its share of the responsibility. “It’s pertinent to note that BHP continues to be along there with us helping to coordinate the regionalization and cooperation to make sure we are all on the same page, and we’re able to provide everything they need and that we need to continue forward.”
(discoverhumboldt.com)
