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The largest investment taking place within the City of Santa Ana is the installation of the Orange County <br />Streetcar. The streetcar line, when completed will connect the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center <br />with Garden Grove via a 4.15 mile route with nine intermediary stops. The route will primarily travel on <br />Santa Ana Blvd, with a looped route for arriving and departing cars on Fourth Street and Santa Ana Blvd <br />in downtown. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2022. <br />Construction began in 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in 2022. During this time, there will be (and <br />has been) significant construction activities throughout downtown. While the project is committed to not <br />closing any businesses during the duration of the construction period, there will be detours and potential <br />temporary closures during construction. During construction, Orange County Transit Authority is <br />providing several forms of marketing assistance to local businesses. However, several stakeholders in the <br />community indicated that businesses in the downtown were experiencing disruptions and decreased sales <br />during peak construction activities. <br />Once this project is complete, it will create an opportunity to increase foot traffic within the downtown <br />area. <br />More broadly, Santa Ana continues to be directly impacted by the Orange County and metro-region's <br />economic conditions and changes. <br />Three primary trends that are impacting the region's economy were identified in the Orange County's <br />2019-2023 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that will continue to impact the <br />region's economy in near future: <br />1. Technological advances, such as social media, e-commerce, and automation, are currently <br />disrupting many traditional industries. <br />2. A surging housing market representing tremendous economic growth while simultaneously <br />creating affordability concerns for many residents. <br />3. Near record -low unemployment rates and significant employment growth in traditional and <br />emerging industry sectors. <br />How do the skills and education of the current workforce correspond to employment <br />opportunities in the jurisdiction? <br />Located in a region with a significant number of universities, colleges and othertraining programs, there <br />are multiple services and options to ensure that the workforce's skillset is current and meets the needs <br />and demands of current and future businesses within the City. Through these services, there is a <br />consistent need in keeping the workforce's skillset relevant to current industry demands. With the <br />extremely low unemployment rate, several stakeholders noted that some businesses (especially those <br />requiring more skilled labor) indicate a challenge in identifying potential applicants who meet the current <br />skills required fora position. As such, stakeholders recommended ensuring that employers were aware of <br />training services and programs (including those described below) to better enable employers to identify <br />qualified employees. <br />Consolidated Plan SANTA ANA 105 <br />OMB Control No: 2506-0117(exp. 06/30/2018) 75A-113 <br />