4. Little Saigon Improvement District

Overview 

Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and Santa Ana are jointly advancing the formation of a multi‑jurisdictional Little Saigon Business & Community Benefit District (BCBD) to strengthen economic vitality, cultural preservation, and long‑term investment in Vietnamese‑American business corridors. From 2025–2027, the project moves through feasibility analysis, stakeholder outreach, district formation, and full operational launch—supported by New City America’s BID formation process and Clarity of Place’s Destination Opportunity Assessment.

Goals

The project aims to understand community priorities through extensive outreach to property owners, business owners, cultural organizations, and media partners. It seeks to establish a sustainable district structure that supports economic revitalization, cultural tourism, and improved public spaces across the Little Saigon region. A unified management plan, assessment methodology, and long‑term budget will be developed in alignment with State law and community needs. Ultimately, the effort is designed to build a cohesive, three‑city organization that elevates Vietnamese‑American voices and strengthens regional collaboration.

ArrowGTP’s Strategic Approach

The initiative began with a feasibility study and stakeholder outreach in 2025, including focus groups, surveys, plaza canvassing, and one‑on‑one meetings with key property owners. The team then worked to define district boundaries, identify service programs such as security, maintenance, marketing, and streetscape improvements, and develop assessment formulas. Throughout early 2026, the Management District Plan and Engineer’s Report were prepared, refined, and approved, enabling the petition drive to begin. The project now moves through the Proposition 218 ballot process, public hearings, and district establishment steps across all three cities. Planning is also underway to support the creation of the owners’ association and prepare staffing, first‑year programs, and transition plans for the district’s future launch.

Key Contribution

ArrowGTP led multilingual outreach across property owners, businesses, cultural institutions, and community leaders to build awareness and participation throughout the process. The team developed stakeholder databases, call scripts, surveys, and bilingual materials to support informed decision‑making. Coordination with New City America, Clarity of Place, and the three city governments ensured alignment on messaging, timelines, and legal requirements. ArrowGTP also facilitated focus groups, community surveys, plaza canvassing, and media engagement to ensure diverse representation and meaningful input in district planning.

Results

The project has completed its feasibility‑phase outreach across all three cities, gathering more than 200 community surveys, 125 mailed owner surveys, plaza canvassing data, and insights from five focus group sessions. The first drafts of the stakeholder database, Management District Plan, and Engineer’s Report were developed, revised, and approved for petition launch. City approval was secured to begin the petition drive, and follow‑up outreach is underway to reach the required 50 percent threshold. The team is now coordinating with Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and Santa Ana on petition verification, public hearing scheduling, and preparation for the Proposition 218 ballot process. Early planning has also begun for the future owners’ association and governance structure, including identifying potential members for an interim board and advocates committee.