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Ad Hoc Committee Nominations for the 2024 City of Santa Ana Historic Preservation Awards November 7, 2024 Page 2 4 6 5 9 Art History, as well as a Masters Degree of Architecture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He also meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications (36CFR Part 61) in the areas of Architecture, Historic Architecture, History and Architectural History. After deliberating, the Ad Hoc Committee recommended the following 2024 Award Winners: Award of Merit: YMCA Award Winner: Caribou Industries Location: 203-205 West Civic Center Drive (northwest corner of West Civic Center Drive and South Sycamore Street) Background Constructed in 1923, the YMCA building is historically significant as a longstanding community institution that affected the lives of thousands of young men in Santa Ana and elsewhere. Santa Ana was, since its founding, home to numerous fraternal organizations that helped to strengthen the bonds of the community. Spurred by the growth Santa Ana experienced during the 1920s, several new fraternal associations were founded, and many older groups constructed new homes. The YMCA embodies this trend, having been founded locally in 1907 before constructing the building at 203-205 West Civic Center Drive. Development of the new facility was due, in large part, to the energy and vision of Ralph Smedley, the organization’s secretary, who also served as construction superintendent. The property is also architecturally significant as a fine example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style and as an illustration of the skill of its architect, Frederick Eley. A native of England, Eley relocated to Santa Ana in 1911 and established a practice responsible for the design of numerous institutional and residential buildings. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 as an individual resource and, as a result, was added automatically to the California Register of Historical Resources. In addition, the property is individually listed as No. 6 on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties and categorized as “Landmark.” Description The YMCA building was selected for the merit of the initial efforts to prepare the building for its eventual rehabilitation as a hotel. So far, the preparatory work on the now-vacant building has focused on demolishing ancillary buildings, securing the primary building, and revitalizing its exterior. To these ends, between 2021 through 2022, Caribou Industries has removed incompatible perimeter security fencing, removed ply-wood boarding from the doorways and windows, and re-covered doorways and windows with