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<br />Good evening Mr. Chairman and members of the Planning Commission, <br /> <br />My name is Ernesto Medrano and I am the Orange County Representative for the Los Angeles <br />and Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. We represent 140,000 hard <br />working men and women from our 49 affiliated Trade Organizations. <br /> <br />We are writing to urge the Planning Commission to support the One Broadway Plaza Project in <br />Santa Ana. This Project has been in the works for about 2 decades and there is no better time <br />for it to be approved but the present. The historic project will create about 3000 high wage- <br />high skilled construction jobs and these jobs have a significant multiplier effect on other jobs <br />in the area. This Project will be the county’s tallest (37 stories), safest and greenest building, <br />emerging as the flagship for Downtown Santa Ana and all of central Orange County. <br /> <br />The Building Trades Council are in talks with Mr. Mike Harrah, the Developer, to achieve a <br />Project Labor Agreement that can provide the project with a skilled and trained workforce , <br />strong safety enhancements for the construction workers and diminish the liability for <br />Contractors. The Project will provide middle class opportunities for Santa Ana and other <br />Orange County residents through our Joint Labor Management Apprenticeship Programs. It <br />will also provide preferential hire to Veterans through our Helmets to Hardhats program. <br />These quality jobs also provide the construction workers with great healthcare and defined <br />retirement plans. <br /> <br />A Project Labor Agreement will also provide for a smooth, continuous flow of work without <br />disruption or interruption through a No Strike - No Lockout provision. <br /> <br />The Developer has also committed to support the City’s affordable housing efforts with over <br />$4 Million in lieu of fees. This way the City can have the option as to how and where to invest <br />these resources to improve the lives of its residents. <br /> <br />The Project will provide an alternative onsite transportation and will promote low emitting <br />and fuel efficient vehicles via on-site charging stations. The structure is adjacent to the Santa <br />Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC) – Orange County & regional mass transit hub <br />which combines the Amtrak, Metrolink, OCTA bus service, taxi service and the under <br />construction OC Streetcar (Santa Ana’s $400 million light rail line) all in one location. <br /> <br />The Building will incorporate several water reduction methods including low flow toilets and <br />fixtures. The building systems will be highly efficient. The interior of the building will offer LED <br />lighting fixtures, bulbs, and controls, with upgraded occupancy sensors and load metering. <br />Fritz Glazing will maximize natural light in the space. State of the art HVAC systems and <br />sensors will be incorporated to control interior climate. It will also incorporate as many