T
he former Trinity Broadcasting Network campus may soon be torn down to make way for a new residential development. MLC Holdings, a unit of Scottsdale-based Meritage Homes, has filed plans to replace the 6.2-acre site at 3150 Bear Street in Costa Mesa with 126 townhomes and 20 single-family homes. The developer has signed an option contract with Irvine-based Khoshbin Company to buy the property for an undisclosed price.

    The City of Costa Mesa is being asked to change the zoning to allow for "high density residential" development, which would enable MLC Holdings to build multifamily units on the site. Plans include 20 two-story homes and eight buildings with townhomes targeted at first-time buyers. The single-family homes would range from 1,400 to 1,900 square feet, while the attached townhomes would be between 1,100 and 2,200 square feet.

    The Trinity Broadcasting Network building, a 66,000-square-foot palazzo-style structure built in 1978, would be demolished. The network vacated its ornate studios in 2017 after declining revenues and relocated to Fort Worth, Texas. Manny Khoshbin, owner of the property, had previously proposed converting it into an event center and had invested over $1 million in renovations.

    MLC Holdings has a history of developing infill housing, having built over 10,000 homes in California since its founding in 2014. The company has also agreed to preserve a historic orange grove in Redlands to build more than 300 homes on the site.