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COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY <br />OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA <br />Management's Discussion and Analysis (Continued) <br />Year Ended June 30, 2011 <br />(Unaudited) <br />• Enterprise Zone: On September 30, 2010, the Community Development Agency's Economic <br />Development Division hosted an Enterprise Zone (EZ) Workshop at the Heritage Museum of <br />Orange County. ELLS, a Santa Ana CPA firm, assisted Agency staff in providing information <br />about California State Tax incentives available through the EZ program and the benefits to over <br />38 local businesses. <br />• Broker Forums: Economic Development staff conducted five broker forums with local Santa <br />Ana brokers to inform and educate them on the benefits of locating their clients to Santa Ana and <br />its Enterprise Zone. Over 100 brokers attended these informative events, and as a result, over 25 <br />new companies invested in improving their vacant properties. <br />• Business Retention and Attraction Activities: Economic Development staff continued to target <br />top sales tax producers for retention visits and monitored the largest businesses in the City for any <br />changes that would cause them to relocate out of the City. A retention visit with Corinthian <br />Colleges spurred the College into opening Everest College, a subsidiary of Corinthian, in <br />downtown Santa Ana. <br />Staff identified over 50 "green" businesses in the City on which to focus retention efforts. <br />Additionally, staff met with several green companies looking to relocate to Santa Ana. As a <br />result, five new solar companies opened their doors in the City. <br />• WayfindingSiignage Program: In the past few years, Santa Ana has undergone several new urban <br />design efforts in the downtown area. To complement these efforts, the City undertook a plan to <br />design a new wayfinding sign system to help reinforce the City's identity and character, and serve <br />as a framework to implement an attractive and effective signage system throughout the entire <br />City. This wayfinding sign program in the downtown area is the first application for establishing <br />a uniform signage and branding program for the entire City. <br />Low and Moderate Income Housing Highlights <br />• Station District Development: A lawsuit tiled by Friends of Lacy on the Environmental Impact <br />Report for the Station District housing project and larger Transit Zoning Code area put this <br />proj ect on hold. This lawsuit was recently resolved in FY 2010 -11, allowing for the proj ect to <br />move forward, with some minor changes in scope. The project now calls for development of <br />approximately 113 rental units and 24 for -sale units on a total of approximately six acres of land. <br />Construction on the first phase of the Station District affordable housing project (74 podium <br />apartment units, including retail and child care components) is anticipated to commence in late <br />November 2011. Plans for the second phase of the rental project include an anticipated <br />construction start date of February 2012, and the 24 for -sale unit project is anticipated to <br />commence construction in 2011 as well, and be completed within 18 months. <br />9 <br />