The San Diego waterfront stretches from scenic Shelter and Harbor Islands, downtown to the dynamic North and South Embarcadero and continues south to the Port’s thriving hub of industry and commerce where the 96-acre Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and adjacent shipyards are located.

The largest of the five Port of San Diego member cities, San Diego is the location for several exciting developments that will benefit the regional economy and improve the waterfront for both residents and visitors. Along the North Embarcadero, two new hotels, shops and a restaurant on Harbor Drive will soon take shape on the site of Lane Field, the former Padres baseball field (now a parking lot).

This development is a crucial part of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan and the transformation of the waterfront area that one day will have an attractive 100-foot-wide esplanade stretching 1.2 miles along the waterfront from Hawthorne Street near Lindbergh Field to Seaport Village.  Improvements include extensive landscaping and more public art. A new main cruise ship terminal is planned along with an auxiliary terminal at the Broadway Pier, with both contributing to this growing business.

At the South Embarcadero, the 1,200-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel, which will provide additional space for conventioneers and visitors, is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The Manchester Grand Hyatt and the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina , both located on tidelands property,  provide guests with waterfront views and accommodations within walking distance of the convention center.

The Port built the waterfront 760,000-square-foot San Diego Convention Center, which opened in 1989, for $165 million. Paid for in cash, the facility is leased to the City of San Diego for $1 a year. The Port also assisted the City of San Diego to fund expansion of this popular facility. Every year, conventioneers contribute millions to the local economy as they stay in hotels, dine in a variety of restaurants and visit local attractions.

To keep the waterfront accessible to the public, Port revenue pays for the upkeep of its 16 parks, such as the Embarcadero Marina Park North and Embarcadero Marina Park South. Funds also help pay for infrastructure improvements at many of the Port’s more than 600 tenant businesses.

Many of these businesses are part of the working waterfront where longshore workers offload cargo for the region at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. Ships for the U.S. Navy are constructed at General Dynamics National Steel & and Shipbuilding Company. One of the Port’s largest tenants, NASSCO and other industrial businesses along the waterfront provide 42,000 jobs and adds $7.6 billion in economic impact annually to the San Diego region.

City of San Diego website