Veterans Cemetery
Location: Gypsum Canyon, Anaheim Hills
Flagpole Groundbreaking: December 8, 2021
After nearly a decade of debate, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, with bipartisan support from local, state and federal representatives, celebrated the flagpole groundbreaking at the Veterans Cemetery site in Anaheim Hills on December 8, 2021. The site is over 280 acres, located off the Gypsum Canyon exit in Anaheim Hills. In 2018, Supervisor Todd Spitzer and I proposed that the County partner with the Orange County Cemetery District to prepare the way for an Orange County Veterans’ Cemetery in Anaheim Hills. That proposal won unanimous Board support. In 2019, I was proud to propose, and again get full Board support, to set aside space for our allies in arms. Orange County has a large and diverse immigrant community, with a particularly large number of South Korean and South Vietnamese soldiers who fought alongside American forces then became Americans themselves. We hold a special duty to honor their bravery, sacrifice, and service. It is only fitting to offer our veterans a proper resting place in our county.
Della Rosa
Location: Westminster
Groundbreaking: April 25, 2019
Grand Opening: September 21, 2020
Della Rosa, a 50-unit affordable housing project in Westminster. Half of the units at Della Rosa will function as supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals with access to on-site services, while the remaining half will be for low-income families. The Della Rosa project is great example of how we’re turning unused properties into affordable housing for Orange County residents. For years the commercial building on Beach Boulevard was vacant and vandalized. Now, with the help local funding like the City of Westminster, the County of Orange, US Bank, Affirmed Hosing, and others, Della Rosa has been turned to a high-quality affordable housing project that will serve some of the most vulnerable in the community.
Casa Querencia (Aqua Apartments)
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Groundbreaking: July 22, 2019
Grand Opening: July 7, 2021
Casa Querencia, formerly known as Aqua, provides 57 newly constructed units of Permanent Supportive Housing and comprehensive onsite services for Santa Ana’s formerly chronically homeless individuals, including those experiencing severe mental illness. The County allocated $8.9 million in Special Needs Housing Project funds. Integrity Housing partnered with Community Development Partners and Mercy House.
Casa Paloma
Location: Midway City
Groundbreaking: June 29, 2021
Grand Opening: January 25, 2024
Casa Paloma will provide a mix of both supportive housing and affordable housing. It was developed in a first-ever partnership of its kind between the County of Orange and CalOptima. Many of the homes in this innovative community will be homes for high-frequency utilizers of the healthcare system. The County allocated $7.6 million as well as 48 project-based housing vouchers worth $19.2 million to the construction of American Family Housing Casa Paloma Project. The 71-unit community opened in June 2022.
Be Well OC North Campus
Location: Orange, CA
Groundbreaking: October 16, 2019
Grand Opening: January 5, 2021
In March 2018, the County of Orange purchased the property at 265 Anita Street for $7.8 million to create a wellness facility focused on access to mental, behavioral health, and substance abuse services. Mental health services and substance abuse treatment are directly linked to homelessness. As a key leader in the Be Well OC Coalition, I strongly advocated for the total $26 million investment from the county and an additional $11.4 million from CalOptima. This project is funded by a public-private partnership between the County of Orange, Be Well OC, and CalOptima to provide much needed services in a centralized location available to all Orange County residents based on clinical need. It is the first of its kind in the country because it will accept all types of insurance. The facility be one of three OC Regional Wellness Hubs and provide the following services:
Japanese Garden & Tea House 50th Anniversary Commemoration
Location: Santa Ana Civic Center
Commemoration: November 10, 2020
In 1969, a year after the Orange County Courthouse opened its doors, the Japanese American Community Services nonprofit, chaired by Hitoshi Nitta, unveiled plans for a Japanese Garden and Tea House to replace an old parking lot. With coordinated efforts by the nonprofit, the Orange County Japanese American community raised $50,000 to build a Japanese Garden and Tea House. This was a symbol of friendship and gratitude and a tribute to all their ancestors, whose agriculture businesses helped build Orange County. On November 10, 2020, the County of Orange and the City of Santa Ana commemorated the Garden’s 50 anniversary.
Heroes Landing (Santa Ana Veterans Village)
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Groundbreaking: January 7, 2019
Grand Opening: July 2020
Heroes Landing, formerly known as the Santa Ana Veterans Village, is a Spanish revival-style, three-story, 75-unit supportive housing development exclusively for low-income military veterans and their families. Both permanent housing and supportive services are provided. The County funded $2.9 million in Mental Health Services Act funding.
Westminster Crossing
Location: Westminster
Groundbreaking: March 4, 2020
In 2020, the Meta Housing Corporation broke ground on the Westminster Crossing project. This project will provide 65 units of permanent supportive housing with wraparound services in the City of Westminster. Of the 65 units, 44 are devoted to working individuals and/or families earning between 20% and 70% of Orange County’s median income.
County Administration South (County of Orange Building 16)
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Groundbreaking: September 28, 2017
Grand Opening: August 28, 2019
For 30 years, a three-story, 1950s-era building sat vacant in the heart of the County of Orange’s Civic Center in downtown Santa Ana. Known simply as Building 16, the deteriorating concrete structure was a symbol of the County’s aging and in-efficient office infrastructure. On August 28, 2019, 5 months earlier than anticipated, we celebrated the grand opening of the new Building 16 replacement: The County Administration South office building. The new building ushers in the beginning of a new era at the County of Orange. We are creating a more efficient and ecological work space while rethinking what accessing County services should look like. This is the first phase of a 20-year master plan to reposition every aspect of the County of Orange’s downtown real estate and approach to customer service.
OC Street Car Groundbreaking
Location: Santa Ana
Groundbreaking: November 30, 2018
One hundred years ago, Southern California had the largest electric streetcar system in the world. By the 1950s, competition from automobiles and freeways led to their decline. In 2018, OCTA held the groundbreaking ceremony for the OC Streetcar to bring back a modernized version of the streetcars to help meet the needs of today’s transit riders. The streetcar will cross 14 bus routes and terminate at the Santa Ana Metrolink-Amtrak station. The connections improve accessibility to workplaces, medical facilities, and educational institutions throughout Orange County and Southern California.
Santa Ana Gardens Bikeway Lighting Ceremony
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Lighting Ceremony: October 23, 2018
The Santa Ana Gardens Bikeway Project opened in 2016, along Jerome Park and connecting McFadden and Monte Vista. On October 23, 2018 we unveiled the new LED/solar powered lights along the Santa Ana Gardens Bikeway next to Jerome Park. The bikeway now allows a safe way for children and families to go to and from school and park; while also promoting active lifestyles for people to walk and bike.
OC Animal Care Shelter Groundbreaking
Location: Tustin
Groundbreaking: July 29, 2016
Grand Opening: March 24, 2018
In 2016, the County of Orange broke ground on a new animal shelter that will serve 14 cities. The grand opening took place two years later. The new OC Animal Care shelter replaces the old 75-year-old facility and allows for the adoption of more modern and humane animal care.
County of Orange’s Mental Health Facility
Location: Santa Ana
Event: February 27, 2018
With its largest homeless encampment dismantled, the County of Orange County moved forward with a $26 million investment in the county's first publicly owned mental health treatment facility. During a board meeting on February 27, 2018, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of an office building in Orange for a treatment center for people with mental health and substance abuse problems. This became the first Be Well OC campus.
Unveiling Statue of Miguel Hidalgo
Location: Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley
Statue Unveiled: July 8, 2016
Plaque Reveling: September 15, 2017
In partnership with the Consul of Mexico, Mario Cuevas, we unveiled the Statue of Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico’s Founding Father, in Mile Square Park. The 8-foot tall Hidalgo statue was donated by Governor Miguel Marquez of the Mexican State of Guanajuato. Miguel Hidalgo’s is one of three statues currently displayed at Mile Square Park to embody the value of freedom and the spirit of independence. The two other leaders featured are General Trần Hưng Đạo and President Ronald Reagan. All three statues serve to celebrate freedom and those who fought bravely to preserve it.
Potter’s Lane
Location: Midway City
Groundbreaking: June 25, 2016
Grand Opening: February 8, 2017
Potters Lane is an innovative housing development that tackles the crisis of veteran homelessness. It is the first-of-its-kind permanent supportive housing development for veterans to use recycled shipping containers. This sustainable and energy efficient facility is comprised of 15 separate units for veterans, one unit to accommodate an onsite manager, additional meeting rooms for individual and group counseling, veteran liaisons, and employment programs.
Santa Ana Gardens Bikeway Project
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Groundbreaking: August 20, 2016
The County of Orange in conjunction with Caltrans District 12, developed an approximately 3,400 linear foot bike path along the Santa Ana Gardens Channel from West Monta Vista Avenue to 1st Street in Santa Ana. This project addressed the lack of sufficient non-motorized bikeway infrastructure in the area, including the need to provide connectivity and mobility to nearby schools, parks, employment centers, and transit facilities, consistent with the City’s Bikeway Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan.
