WISEPlace on Broadway is an adaptive reuse and new construction development on the 0.6-acre L-shaped site of WISEPlace’s current headquarters. In a joint venture partnership, WISEPlace and Jamboree transformed the existing emergency shelter into a Permanent Supportive Housing community with services for 47 residents. The historical landmark rehabilitation and modern expansion is the first in WISEPlace’s nearly 100-year history. It is Jamboree’s sixth property in Santa Ana and is the first development with WISEPlace. The result serves as a model for future public/private partnerships committed to helping end homelessness in Orange County. Located along Broadway and Sycamore Street, between 15th Street and Washington Avenue, the transformation included an adaptive reuse of the existing historical landmark one-story wing facing Broadway and the demolition of the existing two-story wing along Sycamore for the new construction of a four-story structure.
Built in 1950 for the Santa Ana-Tustin Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the City’s Historic Resources Commission (HRC) placed the one-story building facing Broadway on the Santa Ana Register of Historic Properties in 2011 as Landmark #63. Jamboree and WISEPlace preserved the street frontage and retained distinctive materials and features that maintained the historic character and cultural significance of the building. The architectural design of the new construction is a simplified, contemporary variation of the historical Spanish Colonial Revival style, compatible but distinct from the existing historic building. The City of Santa Ana’s Community Development Agency was integral in the adaptive reuse development by providing Jamboree with guidance while repurposing historical landmarks on the site.
The 43,000-square-foot supportive housing community creates a sense of home for residents with amenities such as a welcoming outdoor courtyard complete with a community garden and pet area. Additional amenities include a landscaped courtyard, seismic upgrades, community rooms and kitchen, dedicated clinical counseling and case management rooms, and health and wellness areas. Laundry facilities are located on each floor and the building includes an elevator. Each fully furnished studio features a kitchenette, bathroom, and living area.
