Overview
- New Zealand brothers Mat and Nick Mowbray acquired 16 burned beachfront parcels through Zuru Tech US LLC after the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
- Zuru Tech describes the planned houses as luxury, fire-safe prefabs using AAC lightweight concrete walls and concrete roofs, manufactured in China and assembled on site.
- The company says each home could be produced in four to six weeks, with a target of two finished by the end of 2027 and all 16 by 2029.
- Malibu has issued only 22 building permits since the fire, and a city spokesperson confirmed the buyers have not submitted any building-permit applications or formal proposals.
- Residents and Councilman Steve Uhring warn about potential lot consolidation into mega-homes, while the company says it intends to rebuild at prior scale and notes pricing will follow market conditions; records show at least $65 million spent on the first nine lots.