SANTA ANA : Hearing to Be Held on Concourse Plan

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight on whether to recommend approval of a $500-million construction project that would include the county’s tallest building.

The 1.9-million-square-foot Main Street Concourse was proposed by the Newport Beach-based Orient Corp. of America and Tokyo-based Shimizu America Corp.

Plans include both residential and commercial space, and the project would provide 4,500 permanent jobs if completed.

Mike Cutri, consulting development manager for Shimizu, said it would also create 2,000 jobs during phases of construction.

Proposed for a 17-acre site on Main Street between Owens Drive and Lawson Way, the project would take about six years to complete.

Phase One includes a 32-story office building, retail space, a health club, a live theater and movie theater, as well as 64 attached single-family residences and about 4,000 parking spaces.

If approved, it could open as soon as early 1996, Cutri said.

Phase Two, which totals about 1 million square feet, would include 216 high-rise condominiums, offices, a hotel and an additional 1,800 parking spaces.

The project would generate millions of dollars yearly in tax revenue and business fees for the city if approved, Cutri said.

The public hearing will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers at the Civic Center.