Port Holds Discussion on Future of South Bay Power Plant

At the March 13, 2007 Board of Port Commissioners meeting, a discussion was held on the status of the South Bay Power Plant, located on the bay front in Chula Vista. Port staff gave a presentation on the plant, which is operated by LS Power, and the public had an opportunity to comment. After the presentation and public comment, the Board unanimously passed a motion to direct Port of San Diego staff to assist LS Power in finding a location off the waterfront to build a replacement plant.

A replacement power plant is the surest means of inducing the California Independent Systems Operator to remove the “Reliability Must Run” designation from the current power plant. The Port acquired the current power plant in 1998 with the intention of dismantling it, but statewide power shortages that occurred in the following years resulted in the “Must Run” label. Until a source of power generation is found that meets the reliability requirements for the area, it is unlikely that the status would change.

The Honorable Cheryl Cox, Mayor of Chula Vista, a representative from Congressman Bob Filner’s office, representatives from the Environmental Health Coalition and some long-time Chula Vista residents were in attendance at the meeting and spoke about the importance of removing the current power plant and finding a suitable location for a replacement plant away from the Chula Vista waterfront.

Also in this issue…

Port Sends Out Request for Proposals for Environmental Projects

Gaylord Design Proposal Displayed at Public Workshop

Port Holds Open House on North Embarcadero Visionary Plan

Port Sends Out Request for Proposals for Environmental Projects

In February, the Port of San Diego’s Environmental Department sent out a Request for Proposals for environmental projects that benefit San Diego Bay. The deadline to submit the proposals was March 19 and the Port received 41 responses. The projects to be worked on were originally approved at the December 5 Board of Port Commissioners meeting and were recommended by the Port’s Environmental Committee, a group consisting of representatives from various resource, regulatory and advocacy groups, as well as Port tenants. Some of the projects are related to endangered wildlife along the bay and include installing fish structures to increase populations, building nesting platforms for ospreys and other types of raptors and installing monitoring devices to track the Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtle. Other projects focus on clean air and alternative energy, such as replacing the Port’s vehicle fleet with hybrid cars and conducting a pilot study on solar energy for Port buildings.

The minimum award for each of the projects is $10,000 and the Port anticipates awarding the bids in early summer. In January 2007, the Port began accepting applications from university students to study San Diego Bay and in May, the Board will be awarding five $10,000 research grants.

Gaylord Design Proposal Displayed at Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan Public Workshop

A rendering of Gaylord Entertainment’s proposed resort and conference center.

The Port and the City of Chula Vista held two back-to-back Citizen Advisory Committee meetings/public workshops on March 15 to present and discuss the conceptual design for Gaylord Entertainment’s proposed hotel and conference center. The Gaylord proposal is a vital element in the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan, a joint planning effort between the Port of San Diego, the City of Chula Vista and Pacifica Companies, a private company.

Gaylord Entertainment’s proposal includes a 1,500-room hotel and a 400,000-square-foot convention center that will boast views of San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The project is expected to draw 500,000 new visitors annually to the region and spur new private development in the area. Construction of the project will support approximately 13,000 jobs and the completed project will create about 2,000 permanent jobs. It is estimated that the Gaylord development will generate $1.3 billion in economic impacts to the region. To view more images of the project, please visit the Gaylord Hotels project images page.

Port Holds Open House on North Embarcadero Visionary Plan

A public presentation on the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan was held at the Port’s Administration Building on March 8. A standing-room-only crowd got a chance to view a DVD representation of what the completed North Embarcadero Visionary Plan will look like. Members of the project team from both the Port and the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) gave the public an overview of the project and what the next steps will be. The public also had an opportunity to ask questions about the project, which encompasses a mile of waterfront along San Diego Bay from Laurel Street to Market Street.

The $228 million North Embarcadero Visionary Plan will transform San Diego Bay’s waterfront with a mixture of public gathering spaces, widened esplanades and gardens. The first phase, which incorporates the entrance of Broadway Pier and continues on toward the entrance of the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal, is expected to begin construction late next year. The cost for this phase is anticipated to be about $20 million. The Port and CCDC will be sharing the costs of the entire project.

A North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Meeting between the Port, the City of San Diego and CCDC is expected to take place in May. At that meeting, the 2007JPA officers will be officially elected and will be asked to endorse the Request for Quotations for the final design of the first phase. Please check back on the Port of San Diego website for the JPA meeting’s announcement.

A rendering of what Broadway Pier may look like when the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan is completed.