Posted October 22, 2026 | By Eric Engelbert | Updated as the project progresses.
For more than 25 years, 1109 North Broadway in Santa Ana has been the planned site of a skyscraper that has never been built. One Broadway Plaza was approved in 2004 as a 37-story office tower, survived a referendum and lawsuits, stalled in the 2008 recession, and was approved again in 2020 with 415 apartments added. Now developer Mike Harrah is asking the city to turn it into a mostly residential tower with roughly 600 apartments, a grocery store, and shops.
If it is built, it would be the tallest building in Orange County. This post covers the history, what is proposed now, what still has to happen before construction, the arguments on both sides, and what it means for nearby homeowners and downtown Santa Ana.
We follow this project at every city meeting.
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October 2026 Update: Where One Broadway Plaza Stands
| Topic | Latest |
|---|---|
| Approval | Not yet approved. The new residential plan is in Development Project Review with the city |
| What it needs | An amendment to the SD-75 zoning for the site, additional environmental review, then Planning Commission and City Council hearings |
| Community meetings | January 28, 2026 (about 25 people attended) and September 17, 2026 |
| Unit count | About 602 apartments in the city filing; the September 2026 meeting materials described 572 |
| Cost and financing | About $400 million; financing not yet arranged as of February 2026 |
| Construction | Tentatively targeted to start in early 2027, if approved and financed |
What Is Proposed Now
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| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | 1109 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701, across from the Orange County School of the Arts and less than a mile from the Civic Center |
| Developer | Mike Harrah, Caribou Industries (Santa Ana) |
| Tower | 37 stories: about 32 residential floors over about 9 floors of office and commercial space |
| Homes | About 602 apartments in the city filing (572 in September 2026 meeting materials); studios through three bedrooms, at least 500 sq ft each |
| Commercial | About 70,000 sq ft of retail, restaurants, a grocery store, and reduced office space |
| Amenities described | Health spa and a swimming lagoon |
| Parking | A separate multi-level parking structure next to the grocery store |
| Affordable homes | None on site; Harrah plans to pay about a $4.7 million in-lieu fee instead of building about 19 affordable units |
| Total size | About 800,000 sq ft |
| Estimated cost | About $400 million |
| Zoning | SD-75, a site-specific zone written for the office tower, which must be amended |
| Environmental review | 2004 EIR and 2020 addendum, with additional review required for the new plan |
Harrah has said the change reflects the market. Santa Ana's office vacancy was about 21.5% at the end of 2025, compared with about 10% in 2019, while apartment vacancy in Orange County is very low. "The uses have changed because the economy has changed," he told The Real Deal. On skipping the office space, he said, "Because it would be empty with all the rest."
A 25-Year Timeline
| Year | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Harrah proposes a commercial skyscraper on North Broadway |
| 2004 | City Council approves a 37-story, mostly office tower under a new SD-75 zone, with an Environmental Impact Report |
| 2004 to 2010 | Residents push a referendum and legal challenges over the rezoning; a 2010 lawsuit claims the city eased requirements for the project |
| 2008 and after | The recession and weak office demand stall the tower |
| March 30 and April 21, 2020 | Planning Commission and City Council approve a revised plan adding 415 apartments and cutting office space, with an EIR addendum |
| 2022 | The city's Housing Element counts the 415 apartments toward its state housing goal, with completion listed as 2028 |
| 2025 | Harrah files to re-entitle the project with about 602 apartments, less office, and lower parking requirements |
| January 28, 2026 | First community meeting on the new plan |
| September 17, 2026 | Second community meeting |
| Next | Planning Commission and City Council hearings, dates not set |
The Debate: Both Sides
The Case For
Supporters see a chance to turn the Civic Center from a daytime office district into a place where people live. Harrah has said the tower would attract county, city, and court employees who now commute from Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Riverside, and that residential is "the highest and best use" of the site after remote work hollowed out office demand. The tower would add hundreds of homes near downtown and the coming OC Streetcar line, plus a grocery store and new dining on North Broadway.
The Concerns
Neighbors in the historic districts around the site have opposed the tower since 2004. Tracy Simons, president of the Washington Square Neighborhood Association, told the Orange County Business Journal she is "absolutely not in favor of this monstrosity of a building." Concerns raised at community meetings include traffic on Broadway and Main Street, shadows and height next to low-rise neighborhoods, strain on water, schools, and emergency services, the lack of on-site affordable homes, and distrust after decades of changing plans.
How It Fits Santa Ana's Housing Element
Santa Ana's state-certified 2021-2029 Housing Element requires the city to plan for 3,137 new homes, including 1,513 for lower- and moderate-income households. The Housing Element counts One Broadway Plaza's 415 previously approved apartments as market-rate homes in its pipeline, with completion listed for 2028, even though vertical construction has not started.
| Income Level | Homes Required, 2021-2029 |
|---|---|
| Very low income | 606 |
| Low income | 362 |
| Moderate income | 545 |
| Above moderate (market rate) | 1,624 |
| Total | 3,137 |
Because the tower would be entirely market rate, it would help the city's overall numbers but not its lower-income targets. The $4.7 million in-lieu fee would go to the city instead, under Santa Ana's affordable housing ordinance.
Downtown Santa Ana's Development Pipeline
One Broadway Plaza is one of several projects that would add thousands of residents to downtown and the Civic Center area. Harrah's Caribou Industries is also behind 3rd and Broadway.
| Project | Homes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| One Broadway Plaza, 1109 N. Broadway | About 600 apartments | In city review |
| 3rd and Broadway Promenade (Caribou Industries) | 171 apartments and a 75-room hotel | Approved; on hold |
| 4th and Mortimer | 169 apartments | Approved |
| Legado at the Met | 278 apartments | Under construction |
| MainPlace (Paloma and The Carina) | 717 apartments | 309 open; 408 under construction |
The OC Streetcar, a 4.15-mile line from the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center through downtown and the Civic Center to Garden Grove, is in testing, with service expected around March 2027 according to OCTA.
What It Means for Nearby Homeowners and Buyers
| If You Are... | What It Means |
|---|---|
| A homeowner in Floral Park, Washington Square, or French Park | These historic neighborhoods saw single-family homes list at an average of about $1.45 million over the past year. A tower adds residents and retail nearby but also traffic and construction. Hearings are the time to weigh in. |
| A downtown condo owner | Condos and townhomes in the 92701 zip code listed at an average of about $450,000 over the past year. New residents and a grocery store can make downtown more convenient, while 600 new rentals add competition for renters if you lease out a unit. |
| A renter | If built, the tower would add hundreds of new market-rate apartments near the Civic Center and the streetcar, but not before the late 2020s given the approvals, financing, and construction time still ahead. |
| A buyer | Buying in the surrounding historic neighborhoods now means buying before any downtown changes are reflected in prices, but also before the outcome is known. |
Home price figures are rounded MLS list-price averages for the 12 months ending October 22, 2026. Ask us for a current report on your street.
Questions About One Broadway Plaza or Downtown Santa Ana?
We track One Broadway Plaza and every downtown Santa Ana project from filing to move-in. Get on our list for hearing dates and updates, or contact us to talk about how the tower could affect buying or selling in Floral Park, Washington Square, French Park, and downtown.
Search homes for sale in Santa Ana | 3rd and Broadway Promenade | MainPlace Santa Ana | Skyline OC condos | View all OC new developments
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