Appeal of 2525 N. Main St. apartment project back at next Santa Ana council meeting

The developer of a large apartment complex that would be across the street from the Discovery Cube is hoping Santa Ana’s City Council will be more open to the project previously rejected by the city’s planning commissioners.

Council members are expected to talk about the appeal on Feb. 19, after starting their hearing on the 476-unit project proposed at 2525 N. Main St. at their last meeting. The meeting was running late into the night when they decided to pick the hearing back up next week.

A vacant office building and parking lot now occupy the 5.93-acre site where the apartments would be built. The complex would include a grouping of buildings from two- to five-stories with rooftop decks, a pool and fire pits and fitness center, according to a city report.

Developer Jeremy Ogulnick would be required to pay about $6 million into an affordable housing fund, install public art and pay for improvements at nearby Santiago Park.

Residents, especially in the adjacent Park Santiago neighborhood, have argued the development is too dense, would cause parking and traffic problems and might put a strain on city infrastructure and utilities.

“It’s too big of a project for this small of a lot,” Park Santiago resident Gary Hendricks told the council.

But others pointed to the need for more housing and the associated benefits such as developer money to fix up a city park.

Lewis Wood, also a Park Santiago resident, said the apartment project could spur a revitalization of nearby MainPlace Mall with new restaurants and shops that residents could walk to, adding, “Whether this project goes forward or not, the traffic’s going to be there.”

The Santa Ana City Council will meet at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the council chamber at 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana. Mayor Miguel Pulido pledged to hold the remainder of the hearing near the start of the meeting.