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Grand Avenue and 17th Street
Purpose, Intent, and Objectives
Purpose and Intent
The Grand Avenue and 17th Street Focus Area will foster the development of an urban mixed-use corridor connecting to the city’s downtown and transit core. The intent is to create opportunities for a new mix of land uses and design to transition Grand Avenue from a series of auto-oriented shopping plazas to a series of community-serving, dynamic urban spaces.
Objectives
- Create mixed-use corridors and urban villages
- Realize a more intense, multistory frontage along the corridor
- Promote infill development while respecting established neighborhoods
- Foster community spaces and neighborhood-serving amenities
- Develop opportunities for live-work, artist spaces, and small-scale manufacturing
- Maintain compatible nodes of commercial activity
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Land Use and Urban Form
The majority of land is planned for Urban Neighborhood or District Center land use designations, which will allow a blend of residential and commercial uses to develop simultaneously, as market conditions allow. An intense mixed-use area is envisioned adjacent to the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, along the east side of Grand Avenue south of Interstate 5. This part of the focus area will support larger, more visually dynamic buildings and urban spaces that complement and benefit from the adjacent regional transit center.
North of Interstate 5, the buildings and spaces must be sensitive to the surrounding low- density neighborhoods while still emphasizing the creation of active and attractive urban spaces. A mix of residential, retail, and office will be interspersed along the frontage of Grand Avenue, with a concentrated node of commercial and mixed-use residential uses at Grand Avenue and 17th Street. A small portion of the focus area is designated for Industrial/Flex and General Commercial to support small-scale manufacturing, live-work, and retail opportunities.
The building and site design will incorporate dynamic spaces that activate and engage the public realm, particularly along the ground floor fronting Grand Avenue, the intersection of Grand Avenue and 17th Street, and near the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center. New development will also establish public and private outdoor space that works in tandem to improve the experience of walking and living along and around Grand Avenue.
District Center
The District Center land use district encourages the development of dynamic spaces that activate and engage the public realm, particularly along the ground floor fronting key activity centers.
District Center Medium (DC-2)
Transit-oriented urban village with a wide range and mix of residential, live-work, commercial, and employment-generating uses
Urban Neighborhood
The Urban Neighborhood land use districts allow for a blend of residential and commercial uses and provide a transition between existing neighborhoods and the commercial corridor.
Urban Neighborhood Low (UN-20)
Medium-high density urban neighborhoods with a mix of attached single- and multifamily housing; mixed-use residential with ground- floor retail, services, and restaurants; cultural uses; public and open spaces
Urban Neighborhood Medium Low (UN-30)
Medium-high density urban neighborhoods with a mix of attached single- and multifamily housing; mixed-use residential with ground- floor retail, services, and restaurants; cultural uses; public and open spaces
Urban Neighborhood Medium (UN-40)
Medium-high density urban neighborhoods with a mix of attached single- and multifamily housing; mixed-use residential with ground- floor retail, services, and restaurants; cultural uses; public and open spaces
Industrial Flex
The Industrial Flex land use district allows for a variety of development types, including live-work units.
Industrial/Flex Low (FLEX-1.5)
Office/industrial flex spaces, small-scale R&D, clean manufacturing
General Commercial
General Commercial Medium (GC-1)
Shopping, restaurants, entertainment, service commercial
Photo Simulations
The following are artistic interpretations of how new development could support the purpose, intent and objectives of the Focus Area. These illustrations do not reflect any proposed projects.
Grand and 17th District Center
① Public Spaces
New development will establish public and private outdoor space that improve the experience of walking and living along and around Grand Avenue.
② Urban Village
Four-story buildings should be compatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhoods.
③ Human-Scale
Human-scale landscaping and ground-floor architecture improve the pedestrian experience and activate the street.
Grand and 17th Urban Neighborhood at Major Intersection
View of 4-Story Grand and 17th Urban Neighborhood from Adjacent Neighborhood
- Activate Key Intersections Commercial uses may wrap around the corner, transitioning from more urban areas to lower-density homes.
- Landscape Screening Careful landscaping provides a transition between single family homes and adjacent urban neighborhood lots.
- Height & Massing Step-backs in taller buildings transition between existing low-density neighborhoods and new higher-density development.