In June, the California Strategic Growth Council approved a $25.4 million award to bring Legacy Square in Santa Ana, CA to fruition. Designed by SVA Architects, the property located at 609 N. Spurgeon Street is owned by the Santa Ana United Methodist Church. The Church teamed with National CORE, the City of Santa Ana, and Mercy House to deliver much-needed affordable housing to the downtown area. With a future OC Steetcar stop on-site which will directly link to the masterplan transit system, the development will advance the City of Santa Ana’s vision for creating inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable housing along transportation corridors. Legacy Square will also showcase SVA Architects’ design creativity in linking the urban and historic districts of Santa Ana.
The all-affordable Legacy Square will feature 93 apartment homes, more than 1,750 square feet of flexible space, and a 3,800-square-foot community center. It will provide apartment homes for households earning from 30-60 percent of the area median income. Thirty-three (33) apartments will be designated for permanent supportive housing, with Mercy House providing comprehensive resident services.
Located at the intersection of Santa Ana’s urban core (south of site) and “French Park” historic district (north of site), Legacy Square will bridge the two neighborhoods. The project will feature mission-style architecture—with Spanish roof tiles, rafter tails, corbels, cornices, and Spanish-style railings—and transition to a more contemporary style—with modern pilaster design—on the main façade along Santa Ana Blvd. A future OC Streetcar stop, which will connect downtown to Garden Grove, will have a stop in front of Legacy Square. Construction on Legacy Square is anticipated to begin by the end of 2020 and be complete in late 2022.
Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, NCARB, CEO of SVA Architects, states, “Legacy Square will create an entirely new community, while serving as a beautiful bridge between disparate urban design. The opportunity to provide apartment homes to our City’s most vulnerable, enhance transportation corridors, and solve urban design problems is an exceptional honor and responsibility.”
About SVA Architects, Inc.
Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.
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