Gift Shop Moving to Depot Alcove
After voting in February to evict K. Lee Gifts from the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, the City Council voted Tuesday to move the shop and give its owner, Kwang Lee, a six-year lease.
Lee will move from the 900-square-foot shop she has occupied since 1988 to a 150-square-foot shop in an alcove area near the entry doors.
The council had voted to rent Lee’s space to Foster Assessment Center and Testing Services, a private company that provides job-placement services. Council members said they believed the company fit in with other welfare-to-work services that are housed at the transportation center.
But the action to evict Lee prompted numerous complaints from commuters. City officials admitted they made a mistake, saying Lee provides an invaluable service to train riders by selling them drinks, snacks and engaging them in conversation.
K. Lee Gifts will open in its new location at the Santa Ana train depot in July. Lee’s new lease will cost about $300 a month.
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