An aging retail center in Santa Ana is slated for revival through the addition of an affordable housing complex to the property.

The project, which was considered last week by the Santa Ana City Planning Commission, would replace a vacant automobile repair shop at 5th and Hawley Streets with a four-story building featuring 51 two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments - with floor plans between 800 and 1,200 square feet - as well as open space and dedicated on-site parking.

Community Development Partners, a Newport Beach-based firm that specializes in affordable housing, is pursuing a grant for the project through the State of California's cap-and-trade program.  Consequently, all of the project's apartments - with the exception of a manager's unit - will be made available to households earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income.  This currently translates to an annual income between $31,300 and $62,580 for a four-person household.

The development site is located within walking distance of a future station on the Santa Ana Streetcar.