SANTA ANA : Purchase of YMCA for SRO Hotel Urged

The city’s Redevelopment Commission has recommended the purchase of the 68-year-old YMCA building near the Civic Center as part of the city’s efforts to preserve the facility as a single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel for the poor.

The advisory panel’s recommendation Monday to purchase the building for $625,720 will be forwarded to the City Council, in its capacity as the Redevelopment Agency, for approval.

Officials said the purchase price reflects the amount equal to the debt owed on the building for improvements made several years ago.

Last year, the YMCA closed down its operations at 205 W. Civic Center Drive because they had become a financial drain. In addition to the health and fitness program, the YMCA operated 80 single-room units.

As YMCA officials prepared to shut down the Santa Ana facility, they offered the building to the Redevelopment Agency, said Michael Hennessey, the agency’s real estate officer.

Bob Hoffman, the city’s redevelopment and real estate manager, said Redevelopment Agency officials intend to find a developer who will buy the property for use as an SRO hotel, a low-income housing option that usually requires only a low security deposit to move in.

“The agency’s involvement will ensure a higher quality development with a lower unit density than proposed by other prospective purchasers,” according to a staff memo prepared for the Redevelopment Commission.

Patricia Whitaker, the city’s housing manager, said additional staff review will determine how many units will be made available as living quarters and eligibility requirements for renters.

The City Council approved the SRO development guidelines last April, but only two potential projects have been approved by the city--the YMCA building and a proposed expansion of the YWCA of South Orange County facility.