Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />February 17, 2026 <br /> <br />Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza <br />Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street <br />Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, <br />I am writing on behalf of Chispa to support Item 17, the support for the Purchase and Sale <br />Agreement of 1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena. <br />La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have <br />witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land <br />trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part of the decisions <br />of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We <br />therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa <br />Ana. <br />This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. <br />The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General <br />Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and <br />blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic <br />activity, and quality of life. <br />Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten <br />temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has <br />created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail businesses through open air <br />markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena supports <br />workforce development through partnerships that provide training and capacity building for <br />workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports <br />localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, <br />and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture <br />platform. <br />Across the country, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward <br />land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and