New Jack City
July 7th, 2004, 07:18 PM
NBC 4
Proposed Building Could Be Tallest In Orange County
POSTED: 8:04 am PDT July 6, 2004
UPDATED: 8:10 am PDT July 6, 2004
LOS ANGELES -- A building that would be the tallest office tower in Orange County may gain approval Tuesday night from the Santa Ana City Council.
The 37-story One Broadway Plaza was proposed six years ago by developer Michael Harrah, who bought many downtown office buildings when prices in the area were depressed in the 1990s.
Supporters have touted the project as a vehicle to inject prestige and return the city to its role as a county seat, but some residents of a nearby historic district say it would throw a shadow on their neighborhood, worsen traffic and alter the ambience of the city.
The homeowners association in nearby French Park, which boasts Victorian and Craftsman bungalows, voted 6-5 to spend $10,000 to fight the proposal.
The Santa Ana Planning Commission recently voted 6-1 to approve a condition that construction begin only after the developer leases half of the building.
The $86 million project, which Harrah said could provide office space for lawyers convenient to the county's main courthouses as well as for growing business interests in the city, could house about 2,000 workers.
Harrah has said he will have no problem meeting the 50 percent lease requirement before construction starts.
Proposed Building Could Be Tallest In Orange County
POSTED: 8:04 am PDT July 6, 2004
UPDATED: 8:10 am PDT July 6, 2004
LOS ANGELES -- A building that would be the tallest office tower in Orange County may gain approval Tuesday night from the Santa Ana City Council.
The 37-story One Broadway Plaza was proposed six years ago by developer Michael Harrah, who bought many downtown office buildings when prices in the area were depressed in the 1990s.
Supporters have touted the project as a vehicle to inject prestige and return the city to its role as a county seat, but some residents of a nearby historic district say it would throw a shadow on their neighborhood, worsen traffic and alter the ambience of the city.
The homeowners association in nearby French Park, which boasts Victorian and Craftsman bungalows, voted 6-5 to spend $10,000 to fight the proposal.
The Santa Ana Planning Commission recently voted 6-1 to approve a condition that construction begin only after the developer leases half of the building.
The $86 million project, which Harrah said could provide office space for lawyers convenient to the county's main courthouses as well as for growing business interests in the city, could house about 2,000 workers.
Harrah has said he will have no problem meeting the 50 percent lease requirement before construction starts.