DESCRIPTION:
The County of Orange (County) proposes to develop a Workforce Reentry Center (proposed project) on an approximately 4.6-acre property located at 561 The City Drive South in the City of Orange (City), California (Assessor’s Parcel Numbers [APNs] 231-091-02, 231-091-03, 231-091-07, 231-091-09, and 231-271-02). The proposed project would provide transitional housing and vocational training for adult individuals involved in the criminal justice system or other County systems of care to facilitate their transition into the workforce. The proposed project would develop the project site with three buildings: a 37,200 square foot office/vocational building, a 16,166 square foot retail/culinary building, and a 26,998 square foot supportive housing and services building. Ancillary site improvements would include utility infrastructure connections/relocations, landscaping, and hardscaping, including surface parking and a new internal circulation roadway. Minor off-site improvements are proposed for The City Drive South and West Metropolitan Drive to improve vehicular access to the project site, including traffic signal modifications, restriping, and median modifications. In addition, construction activities associated with the proposed project would include excavation reaching a maximum depth of 16 feet below ground surface. Project construction is estimated to begin in the summer of 2026 and would last approximately 19 months, concluding in early 2028.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section 21000-21177) and pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15063, the County, is acting in the capacity of Lead Agency for the preparation of an environmental document to determine if the proposed Project would have a significant effect on the environment. An Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) has been prepared to address the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects of the Project, as proposed.
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS:
APPENDICES:
Please submit written comments regarding the IS/MND by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, to the person listed below:
CEQA LEAD AGENCY CONTACT:
OCPW/Development Services/Planning
Virginia Gomez
601 N. Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-667-1614
virginia.gomez@ocpw.ocgov.com
PROJECT MANANGER CONTACT:
CEO/Real Estate/Land Development
Ryan Rigali
400 W. Civic Center Dr., 5th Floor, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714-834-3763
ryan.rigali@ocgov.com
