Iconic Trinity Broadcasting building may be demolished to make way for 146 residential units

Costa Mesa’s Trinity Broadcasting Network building, the ornate former headquarters of the international Christian media company, could be demolished to make way for housing, if plans preliminarily reviewed by elected officials Tuesday are sanctioned by the city.

The City Council Tuesday screened a proposal to build 126 attached townhomes and 20 detached single-family residences on the 6.1-acre site at 3150 Bear St., a move that requires a rezoning of the parcel through a general plan amendment and a change in land use.

Representatives of MLC Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of the Arizona builder Meritage Homes, shared their vision of the project, which would provide “missing middle housing” for first-time buyers seeking to transition from renting to ownership but who may not be able to afford a single-family home.

The Trinity Broadcast Network compound in Costa Mesa, as seen Feb. 28.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“In areas where land is very expensive, the way to help get that cost down is to bring up the density of the homes, so you can spread out the cost of the land as well as improvements to that land across a greater number of units,” said MLC director Johanna Crooker, who estimated a unit might sell for around $800,000.

Density — while balanced to complement the characteristics of the surrounding residential neighborhoods — is key to making the project pencil out, Crooker added.

For that reason, the Meritage subsidiary is planning to set aside eight deed-restricted units for very low-income residents, in exchange for a density bonus from the state that will allow it to build to greater heights and a higher density, while offering fewer parking spaces, than what’s allowed for in Costa Mesa’s municipal code.

This means three- and four-story stacked flats up to 52 feet, as opposed to the 27-foot, two-story cap imposed by the city. Instead of providing 477 parking spaces, applicants are proposing 372.

MLC Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of the Arizona-based Meritage Homes, proposes to build 146 ownership units on the 6.1-acre site at 3150 Bear St. in Costa Mesa.

(Screenshot by Sara Cardine)

Though MLC also seeks to reduce the required percentage of land set aside for open space — from 40% to 27% — Crooker said the common open space, with balconies and patios included, is closer to 50%.

A hedge that runs around three sides of the TBN site will be maintained, and a soundwall is proposed for the part of the site nearest the 405 Freeway. The 20 detached single-family residences will line the southern and eastern ends of the property, allowing the project to blend with other houses in the area.

The former site of Trinity Broadcasting Network headquarters, a 6-acre site at 3150 Bear St. in Costa Mesa was purchased in 2021 for a reported $22 million.

(Courtesy of the city of Costa Mesa)

“We’ve been working with staff to make sure we’re being sensitive to the neighborhood and that we fit within the context of single-family homes around us,” Crooker told the council.

The developer proposes improving nearby Shiffer Park and providing a lit pedestrian crosswalk across Bear Street to give the project’s residents and neighbors living off Olympic Avenue to the east safer access to use the park.

Two as-yet unscheduled community meetings will be held seeking input from neighbors on the improvements and public benefits. Once submitted, the completed plans will go before the Planning Commission and then the City Council for final approval.

The TBN site was identified as the sole property in Costa Mesa’s 2nd Council District that could be rezoned under Measure K, passed by voters in 2022, a proposal put forth by Councilman Loren Gameros.

Property owner Manny Khoshbin, of Irvine-based Khoshbin Co. appeared before the Planning Commission in February seeking permits to use the existing 65,924-square-foot building as a premier event space, a plan approved in a 5-1 vote.

News

Costa Mesa’s largely vacant Trinity Broadcasting Network HQ is ready for resurrection

After being sold in 2017 and again in 2021, the 6.19-acre parcel is ready to reopen as an upscale event center under the Costa Mesa-based Khoshbin Co.

Feb. 28, 2024

It’s unclear exactly when talks turned to housing, but several council members Tuesday expressed enthusiasm to see plans for ownership housing.

“Who can really advocate for what’s there now?” Mayor John Stephens posed. “The owner doesn’t want it to be like that. The televangelists are long gone, and now we need to do something more useful with that piece of property.”