The Tustin City Council unanimously approved a development agreement for Meritage Homes Corp. to build 73 condominium units on nearly 3.4 acres.
The residential development, approved on June 3, would be built on two parcels that are currently vacant and surrounded by a multifamily development to the north, commercial properties to the south and east, and Tustin High School along the western border.
Meritage Homes would build the condominium units across nine buildings at 13751 and 13841 Red Hill Ave. in Tustin. Four of the units would be set aside for low-income households. All units would rise three levels and include a two-car garage.
The project also calls for 18 guest parking spaces, two common open space areas and a 3,200-square-foot public amenity.
A traffic light would be added at the development’s entry on Red Hill Avenue.
“The project is designed to be a vibrant, high-quality residential development along Red Hill Avenue,” Tustin city staff said in a report to council members. “The three-story buildings have a ‘Spanish eclectic’ architectural style, incorporating features such as front porches, varied rooflines and deck walls/guardrails.”
The development agreement was approved for five years.
Meritage’s condominium project is located in Tustin’s Red Hill Avenue Specific Plan, one of five areas within the city where local civic leaders and staff aim to increase inventory to meet California’s housing mandate.
Tustin could build up to 6,782 units to meet California’s housing mandate, including 4,180 at Tustin Legacy and 747 in the downtown commercial core. The Red Hill Avenue Specific Plan is slated for 500 units.
The Market Place could see 900 units come online by 2029, according to public documents. Another 413 units could be built at Tustin’s Enderle Center.
Meritage Homes in Orange County
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Meritage Homes Corp., which has a $4.5 billion market cap, is no stranger to Orange County (NYSE: MTH).
MLC Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of the national homebuilder, was approved by the city of Costa Mesa to replace the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s 6.2-acre campus near South Coast Plaza with 126 townhomes and 20 single-family residences.
In 2019, the homebuilder developed the nation’s first all-electric zero-net energy condominium project at CitySquare in Irvine.
Meritage Homes is also one of the residential developers at Rancho Mission Viejo, a 23,000-acre ranch-style development.
Steve Hilton and William Cleverly founded Meritage Homes in 1985, and the company has since built about 200,000 homes in 12 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
Meritage Homes reported 3,416 home closings for the first three months of 2025, with a closing revenue of $1.4 billion.
