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Cypress Fire Station Petition to Santa Ana Mayor & City Council 1 April 20, 2021 Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers, I am writing as one of the Co-Leaders of Pacific Park (formerly Eastside) Neighborhood, to ask that you reconsider disposing of the old Cypress Fire House, located at 625 S. Cypress Street. For years we have been asking staff for an Advisory or Steering Committee to be formed to help guide the adaptive reuse of this beloved historical treasure. The Cypress Fire Station must be restored to public use to benefit our central Santa Ana residents. Neighbors from Pacific Park, Henninger Park, Wilshire Square, Madison Park and beyond have been asking for the City’s support in saving the Cypress Fire Station for over a decade. More recently, we’ve been asking for the property to be removed from the Surplus Property list and transformed into a Digital Library and annex for our History Room. In previous years, former City Manager Gerardo Mouet proposed we transform the Cypress Fire House into a Gallery and Community Learning Center. Our coalition of neighbors have been asking City Staff for an Advisory or Steering Committee to be formed to guide restoration for this property for many years, but have received no support. Each time we receive notification about the firehouse, we ask for help in restoring it for community use. I have attached some of these communications in a separate document. When the last bid on the firehouse fell through, we were told the property would revert back to us and that Pacific Park residents would have an opportunity to give input on conditions to be placed on its RFP. This never happened. Our neighborhood leadership was not consulted or allowed to impact the RFP, nor were local historical groups alerted. When asking staff about any sale related conditions, we were told that only the façade was to be preserved and a plaque installed. This is pitifully little for our underserved neighborhood to receive in exchange for losing public access to our most treasured historic structure here on the Eastside. Pacific Park is a low-income community, with many households lacking access to technology. The Cypress Fire Station is located in a very run down and blighted part of our neighborhood. A Digital Library/Technology Center would not only serve our Youth and Elders, it would uplift the whole area! In addition to providing access to digital books and WIFI, the proposed Digital Library could provide Internet Hot Spots and tablets to check out, as well as computers, printing and technology classes to local patrons. If a History Room is included, the Cypress Fire Station could become an essential way for our residents to tap into their local history and take pride in the building’s beautiful architecture. The Fire Station has already recognized as a Key Historic Property. Below is a video detailing the kind of amenities a Digital Library/Technology Center can provide. It profiles one of three BIBLIOTECH digital libraries recently built in San Antonio, Texas. As you will see, a small space can have a huge impact. It benefits Young and Old, has free outdoor WIFI and even a café! https://youtu.be/QtvytxreYlc We need this in Santa Ana!