Mayor Valerie Amezcua said Santa Ana is seeing a wave of private investment that city leaders expect to boost jobs and long‑term revenue. “Over the past year, billions of dollars — that's billions with a b — in new development have been approved or are under construction,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said. The mayor and city economic staff cited large mixed‑use projects, new retail and housing and steps to speed permitting.

The city’s planning and economic development presentation, led by Assistant City Manager Minh Thai, said assessed value increased by about $1.5 billion since July 2024, bringing the city's total assessed value to roughly $37 billion. Thai said the city issued more than 9,500 building permits in the past year, assisted about 1,500 new businesses to open, and that the city’s one‑stop permitting process (PBX) handled one in six permits and provided some checks in under 12 minutes.

Why it matters: City officials said higher assessed values and new commercial activity bolster the local tax base and help the city fund services without increasing the recurring part of the budget. Officials framed faster permitting as a tool to convert private investment into local jobs and tax revenue more quickly.

What was announced and included in planning documents: City staff and the mayor highlighted two of the largest private projects in city history. The Village Plaza Project (Seagerstrom family) and the Related Bristol mixed‑use urban village together were described as comprising more than 1,000,000 square feet of retail, hotel and office space, about 5,300 residential units and roughly 20 acres of publicly accessible open space. Officials said approximately $760,000,000 in private development was under construction at the time of the presentation.

Minh Thai and the mayor linked the projects to local hiring goals. The administration emphasized partnerships with labor unions and apprenticeship pathways; the city recently hosted a job fair for union apprenticeships attended by more than 200 participants.

Quotes and specifics: “This is a clear sign that the city is open for business and opportunity,” City Manager Alvaro Nunez said while describing the Village/Santana specific plan and related projects. The mayor also pointed to the Clarina project — described as a 300‑unit community that will add outdoor dining and entertainment space — as part of broader downtown redevelopment.

Caveats and next steps: Officials acknowledged development timelines and noted staff are preparing additional outreach and tools, including migration to a new permitting software and expanded counter services for plan checks. City staff said some completion targets remain contingent on private construction schedules and final permitting.