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<br />1505 E 17th St #122, Santa Ana, CA 92705 <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 /> <br />Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, <br />Please receive this letter as our enthusiastic support for the Purchase and Sale Agreement of <br />1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena. As you may know, our organization works to <br />advance economic, social, and environmental justice by building grassroots leadership, <br />advocating for equitable public policy and ensuring that working -class communities, particularly <br />immigrant communities of color, have a direct voice in the decisions that shape their <br />neighborhoods. Our mission is rooted in community -driven development, long-term <br />neighborhood stability and the creation of systems that redistribute resources back into the <br />hands of residents. <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 <br />land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part o f the <br />decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public <br />benefit. We therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned <br />asset in Santa 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 <br />ten 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 b usinesses through open air <br />markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena