A resort-style hotel on the Chula Vista Bayfront came one step closer to reality recently, after the Board of Port Commissioners granted project approval and authorized a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to RIDA Development Corporation.
RIDA has been in a partnership with the city of Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego since submitting a project proposal in 2014 for the right to build a hotel and convention center on the site.
“This is really a monumental step in the entire development in the bayfront,” said Port of San Diego Commissioner Ann Moore. “This project is supposed to be the catalyst and really the centerpiece for the project, for the entire bayfront.”
In order to receive the CDP, RIDA had to submit a conceptual plan, which included pre-construction drawings of what the project would look like, a detailed plan of where public participation/areas will be, a transportation demand management plan and a sea level rise analysis, among other technical analysis.
“The reason why (RIDA is) so perfect in this regard is for one reason: they’re used to building big projects like this,” Moore said. “They have built them all over the country and actually throughout the world.”
RIDA can now work toward beginning construction, which includes acquiring permits for construction and land grading, as well as securing financing, closing escrow and executing leases.
The entire project – which is being constructed west of Marina Parkway between G and H Streets – is estimated to cost around $1.3 billion, but is expected to generate the same amount in terms of regional economic impact.
“It’s going to be a game changer absolutely for the city as well as actually for the whole south county region, probably for the entire region actually,” Moore said. “It’s going to create amenities that people in Chula Vista can come and enjoy.”
RIDA estimates that the resort will create approximately 10,000 jobs during construction, and will lead to the creation of 1,500 permanent jobs and bring in $475 million a year upon completion.
The hotel and convention center will be operated by Gaylord Hotels – a brand of Marriot International – and is set to include retail and resort amenities, approximately 400,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and up to 1,600 rooms.
Additionally, the project will include a public esplanade and pedestrian promenade with activities such as games, dining options and a public pool.
Ira Metzner, president of RIDA, said the firm is very excited to begin work on the project expected to revitalize the city’s bayfront.
“We’re very excited about building, what we think is going to be a real anchor and cornerstone for both the Chula Vista Bayfront as well as for the entire community,” Metzner said.
The resort and hotel convention center is expected to be the bedrock of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan (CVBMP), which was ratified in 2012 after more than a decade of joint-planning between the city, the Port of San Diego and various stakeholders.
The plan – as outlined on the Port of San Diego’s website – is to turn the 535 acres of vacant space on the Chula Vista Bayfront into a “thriving recreational, residential and resort destination.”
“To build something special on the coast of California is not something that one has an opportunity to do every day,” Metzner said.
The resort and convention center is expected to open officially in mid 2023.
