Meritage Homes Plans West Covina Townhome Project

Meritage Homes is continuing its building blitz across Greater Los Angeles with a redevelopment plan in West Covina.

Meritage subsidiary MLC Holdings is planning to build a townhome development on a former school site at 1501 Del Norte Street, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. The proposal calls for constructing 282 homes, including 248 attached townhomes and flats and 34 detached single-family homes, on a 13.5-acre site.

The homes would be delivered in two- to four-story buildings. Floor plans would include a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom units. The development would come with 641 parking spaces as well as an 18,000-square-foot central community park with a pool, shade structures, barbecue space and lawn. Designs for the project are being handled by KTGY and C2 Collaborative.

If city officials sign off on the project, including a general plan amendment and a zone change, construction of the Spanish and Seaside-style development could break ground as early as January. Construction is expected to take two years to complete.

Meritage Homes has other townhome projects in the pipeline. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based firm is currently developing a 93-unit townhome project in Norwalk and an 86-unit endeavor in Santa Ana. The firm bought the vacant office building where the latter project will rise at 2020 East First Street earlier this year for $19.2 million.

Last week, Meritage bought the former Trinity Broadcasting Network campus in Costa Mesa for $44.5 million with plans to turn the 70,800-square-foot property into 142 homes. The purchase comes after it secured approvals from the City of Costa Mesa in August to build housing at the site. Irvine-based Khoshbin Company bought the site in 2021 for $22 million and marketed it as an event venue prior to its sale; MLC previously worked with the Khoshbin Company on a housing development plan for the location. Meritage, acting through MLC, is planning for detached two-story single-family homes and four-story stacked flats at the site.

— Chris Malone Méndez