Introducing

Fairview
Costa Mesa

121 acres in the heart of Orange County, becoming one of coastal Southern California's largest new neighborhoods.

121acres
2,300+planned homes
70%affordable in draft plan
2026plan adoption target

The Story

For sixty years it served California. Its next chapter is housing.

The Fairview Developmental Center opened in 1959 and served Californians with developmental disabilities for six decades before closing in 2021. What remains is extraordinary: 121 contiguous, publicly owned acres beside Harbor Boulevard, wrapped by the Costa Mesa Golf Course, minutes from the coast.

The State of California intends to sell the property to a master developer, and the City of Costa Mesa is leading a community-driven Specific Plan to shape what gets built. Housing, across a full range of incomes, has been identified as the priority use, with deed-restricted homes for individuals with developmental disabilities honored first in line.

HARBOR BOULEVARD CENTRAL PARK COSTA MESA GOLF COURSE

Location

The middle of everything Orange County.

Costa Mesa

Adjacent to Harbor Boulevard on the city's west side, surrounded by the Costa Mesa Golf Course.

Minutes to jobs

Close to the 405 and 55 freeways, South Coast Metro, and John Wayne Airport.

Near the coast

A short drive to Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, with year-round coastal climate.

The Vision

A complete neighborhood, not just a project.

Homes for every income

The draft plan dedicates 70 percent of homes to very low, low, and moderate income households, alongside market-rate housing.

Parks and paseos

Open space woven through the site, with the golf course as a permanent green edge.

A five-minute life

Neighborhood-serving retail and services planned within a short walk of every front door.

A promise kept

Deed-restricted homes for individuals with developmental disabilities carry the site's legacy forward.

The Plan

What the draft Specific Plan contemplates today.

ComponentDraft Specific Plan
Total homes2,300 units
Very low income575 units
Low income345 units
Moderate income690 units
Above moderate690 units
Also plannedState complex-needs homes, mixed-income state housing on up to 20 acres, a 15-acre Emergency Operations Center, neighborhood-serving uses

Some in the community believe the site can support more. At the draft plan's roughly 19 homes per acre, Fairview would be built at suburban density; comparable walkable infill neighborhoods in Southern California deliver 30 to 35 homes per acre with mid-rise buildings and generous open space, which on this site would support a community approaching 4,000 homes. That conversation is part of what the public process is for.

Draft plan figures are sourced from the City of Costa Mesa's Specific Plan materials at fdcplan.com. This site is an independent introduction to the project and is not affiliated with the City of Costa Mesa or the State of California.

Timeline

Where the process stands.

1959 – 2021

Six decades of service

The Fairview Developmental Center serves Californians with developmental disabilities, then closes in 2021.

September 2023

Planning begins

The City of Costa Mesa initiates a community-led Specific Plan for the site's redevelopment.

2024 – 2025

Community shapes the plan

Workshops, surveys, and public input rounds define priorities: housing first, across all incomes.

2026

Draft plan and hearings

The draft Specific Plan advances through planning commission review and public hearings, targeting adoption around the end of 2026.

Next

Disposition and delivery

The State selects a master developer to buy the land and build the plan.

FAQ

Quick answers.

What is the Fairview Developmental Center site?

A 121-acre state-owned property in Costa Mesa, formerly a residential facility for Californians with developmental disabilities, now planned for redevelopment with housing as the priority use.

Who owns the land and who decides what gets built?

The State of California owns the property and will sell it to a master developer. The City of Costa Mesa leads the land planning through its Specific Plan process, shaped by community input.

How many homes are planned?

The draft Specific Plan contemplates 2,300 homes. Advocates for greater density note the site could support closer to 4,000 homes at the walkable mid-rise densities common in comparable Southern California infill neighborhoods.

How much of the housing will be affordable?

In the draft plan, 1,610 of 2,300 homes, about 70 percent, are designated for very low, low, and moderate income households, with deed-restricted homes for individuals with developmental disabilities prioritized.

When will construction start?

The Specific Plan targets adoption around the end of 2026, followed by the State's disposition to a master developer. Construction timing follows entitlement and sale.

Want the deeper story?

The full concept study behind this introduction, including the density scenarios and phasing concept, is available on request.

Request the study Official city plan site