The Chula Vista Bayfront is ready for the spotlight, with a massive, $1.2 billion facelift underway. Centering around a new hotel and convention center, the project includes much more: parks, a beach, and a new bike path are all in store, plus an RV resort and future residential development. It’s the type of project that carries the potential to bring a whole new generation to an oft-overlooked part of SD.
The Port of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista are teaming up on the 535-acre project, expected to be finished in 2025. Here’s what’s happening.
(A) Harbor Park
The new Harbor Park will double the existing Bayside Park already on the water. When it’s done, it could include more beach space, paths, picnic tables, restrooms, a portion of the waterfront promenade, and a boat launch, fountain, playground, café, beach rental building, hand-launch ramp for non-motorized watercraft like kayaks and paddle boards, and new pier at H Street. The existing fishing pier will remain. Harbor Park and Sweetwater Park will take up more than half of the new park space planned for the Chula Vista Bayfront.
(B) Safe Harbor Marinas
The Chula Vista Bayfront masterplan is considering enhanced public access, a larger promenade, and increased restaurant and retail space at the existing marina, but no decisions have been finalized.
Courtesy of Marriott
(C) Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center
The Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center is intended to be the centerpiece of the Chula Vista Bayfront’s redevelopment. It will include up to 1,600 hotel rooms and a convention center with four ballrooms, three levels of meeting space, and two outdoor meeting and event lawns, plus retail spaces and a pool with a lazy river and spa. When it opens in the summer of 2025, it will also feature public park space and a public promenade.
(D) Living Coast Discovery Center
The Living Coast Discover Center opened in 1987. There are currently no changes planned for the zoo and aquarium.
(E) Sweetwater Park (Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Promenade)
Under construction now, this park will accompany the already-built Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Promenade, which connects Bayside Park (the future Harbor Park) and the marinas to the Living Coast Discovery Center and the new Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay RV resort. The path has a truss pedestrian bridge, benches, overlook areas, native trees, and other landscaping.
(F) Environmental buffers being constructed by the Port of San Diego
Courtesy of Sun Outdoors
(G) Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay
This RV resort includes a combination of RV sites and vacation cottage rentals with resort amenities, including a café and bar, indoor and outdoor gym, arcade, welcome center, and pool.
(F) Future hotel/ cultural redevelopment
Ideas for this parcel are still in the rough-draft phase.
(I) Pacifica Residential
A residential, hotel, and commercial development. The Pacifica Residential could include 1,500 condos, plus up to 420,000 square feet of commercial space and a 250-room hotel. According to the Port of San Diego, it’s designed to be pedestrian-friendly, with wide public plazas and walkways.
Claire Trageser has been writing for San Diego Magazine for 10 years. She also is a reporter at KPBS and writes for The New York Times, National Geographic, Marie Claire, Elle and Runner's World.
