Port of San Diego and City of Chula Vista Move Forward on Bayfront Development

Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Contact: John Gilmore (619) 341-5684, (619) 686-7206; Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

After nearly a decade of planning, the Port of San Diego and City of Chula Vista have given the go-ahead for the development of the Chula Vista bay front, one of the largest waterfront planned developments in the state and one that promises an economic boost to the city and region.

The culmination of the multi-year effort came at a special joint hearing on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, when the Port, the Chula Vista City Council, the City's Redevelopment Corporation and the Chula Vista Planning Commission took several actions marking the completion of all local approvals before the project moves considerations by state agencies.

Central to the actions was the certification of the 12,000-page Environmental Impact Report by the Port and City, and adoption by the Board of Port Commissioners of an amendment to the Port's Master Plan for the Chula Vista planning efforts, and adoption by the City of amendments to its General Plan and Local Coastal Program.

Envisioned is the redevelopment of 556 acres along the community's waterfront that will include a 1,500 to 2,000-room resort and conference center, three smaller hotels ranging from 250 to 750 rooms, 1,500 residential condominiums, including affordable units, a mix of office and commercial uses, and scenic gathering spaces around the harbor. Parks, public promenades and bike trails are envisioned throughout the entire bay front.

The bay-front development is projected to generate $1.3 billion for the regional economy over a 20-year period, including more than $11.5 million in annual tax revenues. A new, major resort hotel and conference center could create more than 2,000 permanent jobs and more than 6,500 construction jobs.

Before the project can proceed, the Port, City and Pacifica Companies, a partner in the waterfront development, must gain approval from both the State Lands Commission and the California Coastal Commission. The Port is expected to seek State Lands Commission approval of a critical land exchange with Pacifica Companies this fall. In 2011, the Port and City will ask the California Coastal Commission to approve amendments to the bay front master plan.

Central to the plan is the protection and restoration of sensitive habitats, protection of wildlife and expansive open space - 238 acres in all that will include a signature park, nature trails and bike paths.

Board of Port Commissioners Chairman Robert "Dukie" Valderrama said that he established as one of his top priorities for this year moving the bay-front development forward and he said today's vote was the most significant action that he will take as a Port Commissioner.

"This is another major hurdle," Valderrama said. "This has been a 38-year-process, a lot of frustrations. This project will be an economic engine for our member cities and the entire region."

Valderrama also noted, as did other speakers, that that planning process was embraced by a diverse number of groups, such as labor, environmentalists, business interests and the community. To reach consensus on such a complex and comprehensive plan represents a model for community planning, he said.

Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox characterized the actions as both significant and welcome news for her city.

"Our community deserves a world-class bay front as a regional asset that also improves the quality of life in our city, and today we took a major step forward," Cox said. "This project will bring thousands of new jobs to Chula Vista and the South Bay, as well as millions of dollars in annual revenues to provide for a healthy bay front, create parks, and build an inviting environment that showcases our waterfront for residents and visitors."

Cox noted that together, the Port and the City of Chula Vista are making important strides on the bay front. That includes the recent removal of overhead transmission lines in partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric, and the pending closure and demolition of the South Bay Power Plant.

To date, the Port has spent more than $4 million demolishing some 60 buildings that were part of Goodrich Aerostructures' former South Campus, an area that is now being prepared to make way for new development.

Included as a partner in bay front development is Pacifica Companies, which plans to build waterfront condominium units along with retail shops, a hotel and offices. The land exchange between the Port and Pacifica would shift residential development toward the harbor, away from the Chula Vista Nature Center and National Wildlife Refuge.

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