Item 461/2025
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To:
Lisa L. Kim From: Ursula Luna-Reynosa
Dept:
City Manager Dept: Economic Development and
Housing
Date: 1/13/2026
Subject: Award of a contract to Gensler for the development of Architectural and Urban Design Guidelines for Little Saigon. (Cost: $250,000)(Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
For the City Council to award a contract to Gensler in the amount of $250,000 to draft Architectural and U rban Design Guideline s for defined areas with high concentrations of Vietnamese-American businesses within the Cities of Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and Santa Ana (collectively, “Little Saigon”).
BACKGROUND
The California Jobs First (CJF) state initiative, formerly the Community Economic Resilience Fund, is a major statewide economic development effort launched in 2021 that aims to build equitable, sustainable economies across California’s 13 distinct economic regions. Orange County was identified as one of the 13 regions and the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) was selected to serve as the regional convener, coordinating efforts among businesses, labor, tribal representatives, academia, local government, and commun ity organizations. CJF prioritizes creating good -paying jobs and provides significant grant funding to advance the Governor’s Regional Investment Initiative (RII), which focuses on disadvantaged communities. Orange County received $14 million through the RII Catalyst (RIIC) phase of CJF to support pre -development activities, helping regional projects move from concept to implementation readiness.
In January 2025, Garden Grove in partnership with Fountain Valley and Santa Ana (collectively, the “Parties”) partnered to apply for RIIC funding to explore the opportunity to establish Little Saigon as a premiere statewide destination for cultural tourism that celebrates diversity and boosts the regional economy. In March 2025, the Parties were awarded $300,000 under RIIC – Round 1. To accomplish th e stated objective, the City Council awarded a contract in the amount of $205,000.00 to New City America for the investigation, and if feasible, formation of a Little Saigon Business Improvement District and a contract in the amount of $95,000 for a Destination Opportunity Assessment. In May Item 461/2025
2025, the Parties submitted another application for RIIC – Round 2 and were awarded an additional $250,000 to establish Design Guidelines for Little Saigon.
DISCUSSION
With its rich history, dynamic Vietnamese-American culture, Little Saigon is a vibrant cultural and commercial hub that has since expanded into part s of Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and Santa Ana. Over the decades, it has become a vital economic engine for the region but also a symbol of resilience, identity, and community for generations of Vietnamese Americans in Orange County.
Little Saigon presents a significant opportunity as a premiere statewide destination for cultural tourism, drawing visitors seeking authentic and immersive experiences. Building towards strategic investment in areas of infrastructure, signage, marketing and partnerships with travel and cultural organizations, the cumulative efforts being funded with the RIIC funds would further position Little Saigon as a vibrant, year -round cultural destination that celebrates diversity and boosts the regional economy.
Cal State Fullerton’s Woods Center for Economic Analysis & Forecasting released its inaugural report, Little Saigon, Orange County: A Demographic and Economic Profile, in October 2024 (see Attachment 1). The comprehensive study paints the first-ever detailed portrait of Little Saigon that highlights population and growth trends, an economic snapshot, housing and income data, as well as economic shifts and opportunities. The Project is to build upon efforts made through the landmark study that acts as b oth a benchmark and a roadmap, enabling policymakers, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to build inclusive strategies that support economic and sustainable growth for Little Saigon.
On October 28, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) soliciting proposals to establish Architectural and Urban Design Guidelines for Little Saigon. The RFP garnered four (4) responses by the December 11, 2025 deadline. A selection panel comprised of three Garden Grove representatives and one Santa Ana representative collectively rated the proposals based on qualifications, proposal quali ty, budget, time management, and prior record of performance with other clients. All four firms were deemed to be qualified. Gensler was the highest ranking firm and is being recommended for the award of contract. However, if staff is unsuccessful in neg otiating final terms with Gensler then staff is seeking authorization to award a contract to Studio One Eleven and if unable to negotiate final terms then award a contract to WHA, and so forth. This unconventional method is being pursued due to the fact that all four firms are well qualified and the compressed project timeline. RIIC funds will not be available after September 2026; therefore it is imperative to get this project started as soon as possible. Granting flexibility in awarding the contract will save time in the unlikely event that Gensler and City staff are unable to reach final contract terms.
Item 461/2025
The following is a summary of the ratings:
Rater SWA Gensler Studio One
Eleven WHA
A 56 93 94 73
B 82 96 94 88
C 62 98 88 86
D 83 95 93 91
TOTAL 283 382 369 338
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with extensive experience developing urban design frameworks, architectural guidelines, and place -based design standards for complex, high -profile districts. With a strong Southern California presence, Gensler brings deep expertise in district-scale visioning, mixed -use environments, cultural placemaking, and implementation oriented design guidance that aligns market realities with community identity. The firm is known for its rigorous research -driven approach, strong graphic communication, and ability to translate aspirational visions into clear, scalable, and enforceable design guidelines. Gensler’s multidisciplinary teams and experience working with public agencies, cultural districts, and diverse stakeholder groups make the firm highly qualified to contribute to the development of architectural and urban design guidelines for Little Saigon.
Studio One Eleven is a Southern California–based urban design and architecture firm with extensive experience preparing architectural and urban design guidelines for culturally significant districts, downtowns, and mixed-use corridors. The firm is nationally recognized for its expertise in placemaking, infill development , streetscape design, and community - driven planning, with a strong track record of translating local identity and cultural narratives into clear, graphic, and implementation -ready design standards. Studio One Eleven’s multidisciplinary approach —integrating urban design, architecture, public realm planning, and stakeholder engagement —has been successfully applied to numerous public -sector guideline and visioning projects throughout Orange County and the broader Southern California region.
WHA (William Hezmalhalch Architects) is a Santa Ana–based architecture, urban design, and planning firm with extensive experience preparing architectural design guidelines, specific plans, and urban design standards for cities throughout Orange County and Southern California. The firm is well known for its expertise in context-sensitive design, translating community character, cultural identity, and regulatory objectives into clear, practical, and visually accessible design guidance. WHA’s long-standing work with public agencies and its deep familiarity with local planning and development processes enable the firm to produce implementation-focused design guidelines that are both aspirational and applicable.
SWA Group is an internationally recognized urban design an d landscape architecture firm with deep experience preparing urban design frameworks, streetscape standards, and public realm design guidelines for cities throughout Southern California and California at large. With Item 461/2025
a strong presence in Orange County, SWA is known for creating high-quality, culturally responsive design guidelines that integrate mobility, landscape, open space, and placemaking into cohesive district identities. Their work emph asizes pedestrian-friendly environments, complete streets, and t he integration of art and cultural expression into the public realm.
SWA’s collaborative, community -focused approach and their ability to produce visually compelling, implementation-ready guideline documents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to the General Fund as costs will be reimbursed through the RIIC grant funding . Staff is requesting that $250,000 of the remaining RIIC grant funds be appropriated into the State Grant Fund (233) to fund the scope of work outlined above.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Authorize the Finance Direct or to appropriate a total of $250,000 for the contract;
Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and award a contract to either Gensler, Studio One Eleven, WHA, or SWA, in the amount of $250,000 to draft Architectural and Urban Design Guidelines; and
Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all agreements and any amendments to the Consultant Services Contract , that may be necessary to carry out the requested services.
By: Christy Le, Administrative Analyst
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. Little Saigon, Orange County: A Demographic and Economic Profile
2. Consultant Services Agreement