Santa Clara’s Villa Bella condominium complex is still closed today, March 2, and there’s no word on when residents will be allowed to move back home after a report of “displaced concrete” led to the discovery of structural issues at the 56-unit complex at 1850 & 1890 El Camino Real.
However, The Weekly found Villa Bella residents have more than once complained about leaks, rust and a lack of overall response from the condominium complex’s management, and it’s been an issue for more than a year.
Villa Bella sold its first unit on May 31, 2024. Less than a year later, residents began complaining. The Weekly found Google reviews from four residents who purchased condominiums at Villa Bella in June and July of 2024. In 2025, they wrote reviews of the developer, Legend USA, well before this evacuation.
Farid Sabitov, who purchased a fourth-floor unit in July 2024, complained about “unmet promises” and “construction delays & quality issues,” pointing to leaks in the building and “rusting metal structures.”
Suzan Kahraman also purchased a unit in June 2024. They complained about “water leaks during heavy rain.”
“These unresolved issues are damaging the building and causing frustration among residents,” wrote Kahraman.
Anmol Kalia purchased their unit in June 2024.
“The building is more than half occupied by homeowners now, yet the developers have not fully completed construction,” wrote Kalia a year ago. “The rains have revealed multiple leaks around the building. Multiple metal structures are already rusting – patio railing, pipes, etc. Once you purchase, the developer gets VERY hard to get ahold of and stonewalls the above state[d] issues. On top of this, the developer is also stonewalling a homeowner HOA and not letting this function to get clear answers on these issues.”
Victor Leong was one of the first to purchase a unit in June 2024. Leong told a similar story.
“There are many leaks around the building, rusted metal gates and pipes and unfinished construction. Residents reported these defects to the developer, and some go unaddressed for long periods of time,” wrote Leong.
When asked about these issues, especially in light of this evacuation, the developer, Legend SantaClara, LLC, “respectfully” declined phone and on-camera interviews and offered the following written statement:
“We are aware of the precautionary evacuation that occurred following concerns raised by local authorities. The former Owner Developer, Legend SantaClara, LLC, is actively cooperating with the City of Santa Clara, structural engineers, the general contractor and emergency responders to address the situation and ensure that appropriate safety measures are implemented. As the City has publicly confirmed, the consensus is that the building is not in imminent danger of collapse. Temporary shoring measures are being evaluated and coordinated as required prior to reoccupation. We remain committed to working in good faith with all relevant parties while the engineering assessment process continues.”
The Weekly also asked the developer if there was compensation for the displaced residents and received no response. The city says it is working with the American Red Cross to assist the displaced residents.
As of now, yellow tape prevents people from walking on the El Camino Real sidewalk in front of the Villa Bella property. There is a guard posted outside the building, so no one can enter.
The City of Santa Clara says no one can move back into Villa Bella until the developer completes the necessary “shoring” to the north side of the building.
The initial evacuation happened just before 7 p.m. on Feb. 28. Emergency crews evacuated about 60 people from Villa Bella and 10 homes on Clay Street, behind the complex, because they were in the potential collapse zone. Guests at local businesses were told to shelter in place.
As a precaution, both directions of El Camino Real were closed between Scott Boulevard and Pierce Street. They are now back open.
The site was originally the home of the Anantara Villas, but on June 28, 2019, while under construction, a fire tore through the construction site. The developer cleared out the debris before resuming construction. The development was renamed Villa Bella in September 2022.
