Gift revives Santa Ana YMCA building plans

A Newport Beach couple have given the YMCA of Orange County a record $4-million donation for a recreation center in Santa Ana, a city with a shortage of youth facilities despite having one of the youngest populations in the country.

Russ and Kathy Van Cleve’s gift puts the Santa Ana project, delayed for years because of a lack of funds, back on track.

YMCA officials say they could begin construction next year. But between $6 million and $8 million is still needed to complete the $20-million project, said Art Wannlund, chief executive of the YMCA of Orange County.

Russ Van Cleve, 60, a real estate developer, said he and his wife were moved by his religious faith to make the donation.

“We decided to take a leap of faith and see how we could change some lives,” he said. In Santa Ana, he said, “families are struggling. They need help. This is a way we can touch lives for generations.”

Wannlund said 12,000 children live within walking distance of the project at West Alton Avenue and Raitt Street.

The 2.5-acre parcel, part of the Armstrong Ranch development, was donated to the YMCA by C.J. Segerstrom & Sons in 2004. The site now includes Segerstrom High School, which opened in 2005, and single-family homes. It is also the planned site of the Roman Catholic Christ Our Savior Cathedral.

Although the YMCA’s plans are not final, officials have discussed a soccer field, a pool and an area for after-school programs, Wannlund said.

City officials said they were ecstatic that a large donation would push the project forward in Santa Ana, where the median age is 26.

“We love the idea that they are building a new facility,” said Gerardo Mouet, director of the Santa Ana Parks, Recreation and Community Service Agency. “Anything they add to provide more opportunities for recreation for the young people in Santa Ana is a real plus, because there is so much need.”

jennifer.delson@latimes.com