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Santa Ana, CA—April 26,
2007—With a $4 million donation, Russ and Kathy Van Cleve, trustees
of the Van Cleve Foundation Trust, are bringing a new, state-of-the-art
Santa Ana YMCA one step closer to reality. The 32,000-square-foot facility
will be built on 2.5 acres of Armstrong Ranch land donated by C.J.Segerstrom & Sons
in 2004.
The land is located on the corner of Alton and Raitt Street
in south Santa Ana. “We were looking to make a generous capital
donation to a project that would have a large, lasting and meaningful
impact in improving the lives of many people, commented Russ Van
Cleve, Owner and President of Irvine-based Empire Homes. “For decades
to come, this new YMCA will help thousands of children and families,
including many who struggle with basic needs, make positive changes in
their lives.
Facilitated
through John Rochford, President of Snyder Langston and long time member
of the YMCA of Orange County Board of Directors, the Van Cleve’s
donation brings funds raised for the new facility to $10 million. With
funds raised to date, plans have progressed through the preliminary design
stage and have been approved by the Santa Ana Planning Commission and
City Council.
Designed to meet the
specific demographic needs of the surrounding community, the facility
will incorporate a new soccer/sports field that will provide access to
hundreds more youth who are turned away from soccer programs due to lack
of fields and resources. Other highlights will include a fitness and
strength-training center; an aquatic center with a swimming pool, therapy
whirlpool and children’s fountain;
a “12-week fitness starter area; a youth and teen adventure center
with a climbing wall and ropes course; a multipurpose room for dance
and aerobics classes; a kids’ center; a learning and technology
center with a computer lab and study areas for tutoring and mentoring;
and multipurpose meeting rooms that will be used for literacy and other
classes, employment counseling and community meeting space. The YMCA
will partner with hospitals, local churches and other community organizations
to provide health wellness and after school programs.
“The new Santa Ana YMCA will meet a critical need for a facility
dedicated to building healthy spirits, minds and bodies for families
and children of all ages, observed Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. “While
providing a safe place for thousands of youth to engage in activities
that will help them explore possibilities and reach their full potential,
it also will provide peace of mind for parents who will know their children
are participating in meaningful programs after school and on weekends.
In
addition to their financial gift, the Van Cleves are committed to making
a donation of professional expertise to the project. “Beyond
our monetary gift, we’d like to extend our involvement to encompass
the building skills of the Empire Homes’ staff said Russ Van Cleve.
Founded in 1987, Empire Homes is a privately-owned land development and
home building company based in Southern California. Empire Homes’ most
recent land development project was the 955 lot Seneca Springs master
planned community in Beaumont. The company ranked in the top 10 of some
270 homebuilders across the nation in three leading measures of customer
satisfaction and received a 2005 Eliant Award, based on surveys of approximately
3,000 new home buyers.
As a result of his alliance with the Van Cleves,
Rochford also anticipates personal and professional involvement in the
project. “We’re extremely
excited about the teamwork we can create by bringing the talents of Empire
Homes and Snyder Langston into the project team, Rochford said.
The new YMCA facility will serve
approximately 12,000 children and teens who live within walking distance
and some 80,000 who reside within two miles. It will meet the recreational,
social and educational enrichment needs of more than 168,000 Orange County
residents who reside in the service area of Santa Ana, South Coast Metro
and parts of Tustin. As the final developed piece of the 90-acre Armstrong
Ranch, it will complement Segerstrom High School, a 2,500-student public
high school that opened in September 2005. The site also encompasses
single family homes and is the future location of Christ Our Savior Cathedral.
Construction of the new Santa Ana is expected to begin in early 2008,
with an opening anticipated for end of the year.
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