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Mitre - Ramirez, Norma <br />From: Thomas Shimanek <tlshimanek @me.com> <br />Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 5:35 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: Wellness District <br />Categories: Important <br />As a downtown Santa Ana resident and business owner, I would like to express my thoughts on the "Wellness District" <br />proposal. It is my belief that rebranding the downtown area as "La Calle Cuatro" and branding it as solely a Latino <br />marketplace area will be devastating to the progress we have made in recent years in bringing new business to the area <br />that is actually successful, generating profits, and bringing new visitors to our downtown. <br />The attempt to bring in younger Latino residents to shop here and away from big box stores is fruitless and will not <br />work. These stores cannot compete with the big box retailers in price or in quality of offerings. <br />The best economic future for our city is in embracing the artisan food hub that Santa Ana is becoming. This has fueled <br />recovery from the Great Recession, and helped our property values (and your property and business taxes!) soar. If we <br />are going to improve Santa Ana in other areas, like the much needed education, we need this income from the upscale <br />eateries. <br />It is not my hope that Latino culture be erased from Santa Ana, by any means. But I would love to see our downtown as <br />a multicultural hub of life and activity. I believe there is a middle ground and a balance to be found here that will <br />encourage new growth, leaving behind outdated business models, but keeping the Latino culture alive and well in Santa <br />Ana. This proposal is not that middle ground and will hurt the future of Santa Ana. <br />Sincerely, <br />Thomas and Sarah Shimanek <br />