Santa Ana planners green light affordable housing project with 93 units

National CORE, a non-profit developer, is moving forward with an affordable housing project in downtown Santa Ana.

The city’s planning commission voted this week to approve plans for National CORE’s mixed-used complex with 93 units in the Orange County city, Urbanize reported. The project includes a four-story building with 7,300 square feet of ground-level “flex” retail space, and a 2,600 square-foot community center.

The Legacy Square development, designed by SVA Architects, would replace two church structures at 609 N. Spurgeon Street. The apartments are for households earning 60 percent or less than the area median income. Thirty-three units will be set aside as permanent supportive housing.

Santa Ana’s city council will consider the plans in February for final approval.

The green light from the planning commission came on the heels of news that National CORE is joining LINC Housing to build a mixed-use development in San Pedro. That project could yield 91 affordable units.

National CORE has helped build affordable housing around Southern California, including at the VA West L.A. campus. The firm was also part of a team selected to redevelop the Rancho San Pedro public housing complex. That plan calls for 478 units to replace the existing complex, 558 new affordable units, 132 affordable homeownership units, 416 market rate rentals, and 42 market rate homeownership units. [Urbanize] — Gregory Cornfield