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In a move that could create the single largest development opportunity on the Northern California coast, a historic 430-acre sawmill site in Fort Bragg is going up for sale. The now-closed Georgia Pacific Corp. complex, the economic engine that drove the Mendocino Coast economy for more than a century, is being marketed to developers as a potential site for a mixture of homes and commercial enterprises, including a luxury hotel and a marine research center. The sawmill site, which has dominated the town's appearance for nearly 120 years, sits in the heart of Fort Bragg with its own power plant, readily available city services and two miles of spectacular ocean frontage. "I don't think there is any other site like it," said Randall Stemler, an analyst for the California Coastal Commission. For Fort Bragg, the potential sale holds out hope of new economic development to replace a shrinking local timber industry, while for the first time since 1885 providing city residents public access to oceanfront headlands, beaches and Soldiers Harbor. A proposed bluff-top trail could link Noyo Harbor to Glass Beach and the historic Pudding Creek Trestle. Even if the site is sold early next year, however, development may be years off because of rezoning issues, environmental studies and permit requirements. Still, any deal promises to radically reshape the local landscape. "It won't happen overnight, but if the sale and development of the land proceeds as envisioned, the face of Fort Bragg and the surrounding area will be forever changed," said Mayor Jere Melo.
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