Santa Ana Pueblo to develop business complex
$11M project planned for lot on U.S. 550
One Native American pueblo is preserving its heritage while planning for the future of its people by developing a business complex on U.S. 550.
Santa Ana Pueblo has confirmed that it will build a multimillion dollar business complex, called WindRidge@Tamaya, on the 44-acre lot on the south side of U.S. 550 across from Santa Ana Star Casino, this year.
The estimated cost of this project will be $11 million, according to Santa Ana Pueblo Gov. Myron Armijo, also the director and chairman of Southern Sandoval Investments Ltd.
Armijo said the project started a year ago.
“This corporation has been asked by the pueblo to provide economic development and this project is just part of that initiative,” Armijo said.
According to Armijo, Santa Ana funded the entire project from tribal funds without state incentives of any kind.
For now, Phase 1 of WindRidge@Tamaya includes a car wash, a Blake’s Lotaburger and a company called Big R, which sells merchandise such as feed and livestock troughs, he said.
Armijo said SSI is currently building a 40,000-square-foot facility just for the Big R chain and has room for a potential 30 businesses, depending on their size.
Starbucks and Discount Tire have not yet been confirmed, but are looking into opening at the development, he said.
“We wouldn’t be turning dirt over here if we weren’t wanting to create more jobs and stability for the area,” he said. “Santa Ana, I feel, is progressive and we want to provide more revenues to the pueblo.”
Big R is estimated to be completed and running by Decem-
ber, he said, and everything else should be ready to go by the end of the year for Phase 1. As for other phases, he said, it depends on how many businesses commit to building at the new site.
Aesthetically, the designs of the businesses will all be Southwestern in style and match the casino and other Santa Ana buildings, he said.
“Once other businesses see what we are doing here, I believe it’s just a matter of time before they become interested,” Armijo said.
Joe Walter, general manager at Southern Sandoval Investments Ltd., said the company is very selective on who they want on the 44-acre development.
“We want good-quality vendors in there that are serious for the community, not fly-by-night kind of stuff,” Walter said.
Many of the businesses SSI is interested in gaining are national or large regional chains that have established themselves, he said. Walter explained that the size of the business coming in will have a great impact on how many jobs can be created, but there is no exact number available for that projection at this time.
SSI board member Reggie Leon said the ultimate goal with the economic development from this initiative is to further preserve Santa Ana’s culture.
“In the long run, given the opportunity, we want to provide employment to our people so they can participate … without having to work someplace else that wouldn’t allow them tribal holidays off,” he said.
Leon said the pueblo relies on having non-natives to help Santa Ana run its businesses and maintain the traditions of his people.
“When we have cultural events going on, our people are free to take part because the rest of the people can pick up the slack and run the businesses,” Leon said.