Showroom Retail Space in Santa Ana

What to diligence before LOI

1. 01

   Parking is the main advantage: Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 41-1349 parks furniture and appliance stores at 2 spaces per 1,000 sq ft, against 5 per 1,000 for general retail under Section 41-1340. A 20,000 sq ft furniture showroom needs about 40 stalls instead of 100. Ask Planning in writing whether a mattress, lighting or kitchen and bath showroom will be classified as a furniture and appliance store before you count on the lower ratio.

2. 02

   Vehicle showrooms: Section 41-365(d) permits automobile sales (excluding trucks, trailers, tractors and boats) by right in C1, and Section 41-377(i) adds truck, trailer, tractor and boat sales in C2. Section 41-366(a)(2) lets automobile sales operate outside an enclosed building in C1. Section 41-1343 parks vehicle sales at 2 spaces per 1,000 sq ft of display and storage area plus 4 per 1,000 of office area, and Section 41-1301 bars displaying vehicles for sale on a lot unless the property is zoned for it and the dealer is licensed there, so a gallery-only EV store in a shopping center should confirm both points.

3. 03

   Home improvement and big boxes: home improvement warehouse stores, bulk merchandise stores and superstores need a conditional use permit in C2 (Section 41-377.5(e) and (f)) and in the C4 Planned Shopping Center district (Section 41-412.5(b) and (k)); superstores also need one in C1 (Section 41-365.5(m)). Bulk merchandise stores are parked at 8 per 1,000 sq ft (Section 41-1353).

4. 04

   Warehouse space behind the showroom: Section 41-366(b) limits storage in C1 to goods sold at retail on the premises or used in the business, and Section 41-366(a) requires business activity to be inside an enclosed building. A showroom that also runs regional delivery out of the back room should confirm that use with Planning.

5. 05

   Bristol Marketplace (the former Honer Plaza, 1313 to 1601 W. 17th Street and 1702 N. Bristol Street): JLL reported a $16.7 million sale to Tabani Group in December 2023 of a 107,687 sq ft property made up of the dark two-story Kohl's and adjacent shops. The leasing brochure shows 2025 daily traffic of 41,439 on N. Bristol at W. 18th and 35,901 on W. 17th at N. Bristol. Ask the current owner whether the former Kohl's is still available and whether it can be split by floor.

6. 06

   Height and frontage: Section 41-367 caps C1 buildings at 35 feet and Section 41-368 requires a 15-foot front yard. Those limits matter if you plan a new two-story showroom rather than a backfill.