Key Takeaways
- Former Trinity Broadcasting Network headquarters in Costa Mesa sold for $44.5 million
- Meritage Homes will build 122 townhouses and 20 single-family homes on the site
- The iconic palazzo-style building will be demolished after years as a local landmark
- Seven units will be designated for very low-income occupants
The distinctive former headquarters of Trinity Broadcasting Network in Costa Mesa has been sold for $44.5 million, paving the way for a major housing development that will replace the iconic religious media complex.
Meritage Homes purchased the ornate palazzo-style structure and plans to construct 122 townhouses and 20 single-family homes on the six-acre property located just south of the 405 Freeway. The project received city approval in August.
Property History and Ownership
Trinity Broadcasting Network, one of the world’s largest religious television networks, sold the Costa Mesa complex in 2017 after declaring it obsolete. The center originally opened in 1978.
Most recently, the property was owned by Khoshbin Co., a Costa Mesa real estate firm that operated the site as an event venue. Khoshbin purchased the property for $22 million in 2021, according to CoStar data.
“We’ve spent over $1 million improving the site, beautifying it, and I think the neighborhood really enjoys seeing some life [come back] into the property,” Manny Khoshbin told the city Planning Commission last year. “We’ve been getting a lot of requests for events, weddings and birthdays, because it’s such a beautiful landscape,” he said.
Iconic Architecture to Be Lost
The structure across from South Coast Plaza on Bear Street will be demolished for the housing project. The building has long fascinated locals with its extravagant design.
“With its classical columns, mirrors, faux gold and white marble everything, the Trinity compound’s look is ‘Gone With the Wind’ meets Caesars Palace,” The Times wrote in 1998.
“White walls are adorned with gold-framed floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Visitors climb the sweeping white marble stairway and come upon a 15-foot-tall statue of Michael the Archangel, his wings spread, his left foot planted on Satan’s head, hovering over the gilded grandeur,” the Times article said back then.
The gold-painted dome ceiling featured an elaborate mural of angels that Trinity Broadcasting founder Paul Crouch famously called .
Housing Development Timeline
Meritage estimates the site redevelopment will take approximately two years to complete.
Planning commissioners praised the project for addressing Costa Mesa’s housing needs, where 60% of residents currently rent. The coastal city faces high housing demand and rising costs.
The development will include seven units reserved for very low-income occupants as part of the community benefits.
Targeting the ‘Missing Middle’
The new complex specifically aims to serve – residents who have outgrown renting but cannot yet afford single-family homes. The townhouse format will allow buyers to build equity and progress up the housing ladder.
