Correspondence - Item 1 - Closed Session

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[OOPERA[ION OOW SANTAANA 150SE17TH5TSTE117,SANTAANA,(A92705 A0M1N@C00PERA(10M5ANTAANA.0RG 4 tt (657)210.C,047 January 20, 2026 Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: 1901 W. Walnut St. Land Acquisition Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, It is with great enthusiasm that we express support for THRIVE Santa Ana's efforts to purchase and permanently own the property located at 1901 W. Walnut Street. As you may know, Cooperacion Santa Ana has been a partner organization to THRIVE and the lead applicant in a collaborative grant that garnered the support of the State of California, for both the construction and purchase of the site. Cooperacion Santa Ana is growing an ecosystem necessary to support community wealth building and advance health equity. We support Santa Ana and Orange County residents by promoting, training, and equipping the development of worker cooperatives—small businesses owned and controlled by their workers—as a viable solution to create dignified, sustainable work that fosters community resilience. Cooperacion Santa Ana has the pleasure of working with the businesses at La Colmena. In April 2025, THRIVE and the City of Santa Ana celebrated the grand opening of La Colmena, the City's first community land trust(CLT)project. Building on this milestone, THRIVE has now been awarded state funding to permanently acquire the site. We respectfully urge the City to help make this property the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. Specifically, we ask that the City Council direct staff to prepare a purchase and sale agreement, along with the required Economic Subsidy Report, that would allow the City to accept THRIVE's offer of$852,000 for the property. This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life.