Chula Vista and Port of San Diego officials broke ground on the long-awaited Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center on Wednesday, which is the first of its kind on the West Coast.
The Gaylord and Pacific Resort and Convention Center is at the centerpiece of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan, a decade-long joint planning effort by the Port, the City of Chula Vista, and a broad coalition of stakeholders. Houston-based RIDA Development will build the 1,600-room hotel, a 275,000 square foot convention center, and 1,600 parking spaces.
The City and the Port of San Diego began a collaborative planning process in 2002 to create the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan (CVBMP) for the approximately 535 acres of vacant and industrial land in Chula Vista Bayfront area. According to city officials, the total estimated cost to construct the hotel, parking improvements, convention center, and associated improvements is $1.35 billion.
“The Chula Vista Bayfront is a model of excellent planning that balances economic development with public benefits including new parks and access to the coast, along with thousands of jobs,'' said Port of San Diego Commissioner Ann Moore, who was appointed to serve on the seven-member board by the Chula Vista City Council. “The Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center will be a point of pride for our entire region.''
In June, the port and the city secured $275 million in public bond funding to support the public investment in the project and closed escrow in May.
Officials estimate the project will create 3,580 jobs during construction. The Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center is expected to have an economic impact of half-a-billion dollars each year and produce 4,000 permanent jobs.
“The Chula Vista Bayfront is the defining project of a generation for the South Bay. We are finally realizing the fulfillment of all the tireless effort that hundreds if not thousands of people have invested in this project over the past few decades,'' said Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas.”I am beyond proud and honored to be here to celebrate the start of construction on the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center.''
The plans include a convention center with four ballrooms, three levels of meeting space, and two outdoor meeting and event lawns. Officials say the bayfront master plan calls for open space, a shoreline promenade, walking trails, RV camping, shopping, and dining.
The expected competition date is by Memorial Day 2025.
