Harbor Park, the $47.5 million tourist-drawing segment of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan, received approval for a coastal development permit from the Port of San Diego commissioners.
According to the project’s website, the initial phase will focus on shoreline improvement and expansion, terraced headlands, two meadows, a portion of the waterfront promenade, a boat launch, public gathering areas, and pedestrian and bicycle enhancements. The park will be built in phases, with a primary $19.5 million phase breaking ground in 2023, expected to be completed by early 2024.
The financing entities, which include the City of Chula Vista, Port of San Diego, and RIDA Development, will be funding phase one through bonds. However, additional phases have not received funding or financing yet. The additional phases include a play area, fountain, pier, cafe, and the rest of the promenade.
“With a bigger and better beach, sunset terraces, added recreational offerings, and more, Harbor Park is really where we envision visitors and Chula Vista residents spending a lot of their time on the Chula Vista Bayfront,” Port Chair Ann Moore, who represents Chula Vista on the seven-member board, said in a statement. “Harbor Park, along with the future Sweetwater Park and other public amenities, will give us the enhanced shoreline recreation and active commercial harbor we’ve been wanting in the South Bay.”
In August 2012, the California Coastal Commission permitted the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan, the most extensive development on the west coast. The plan works with 535 acres of land and is the final significant waterfront opportunity in Southern California. This project will provide additional parks for the public, protect natural resources and wildlife, and increase jobs. COVID-19, or more specifically the lockdowns put in place, have decimated the local economy. The jobs created by the Bayfront Master Plan will increase economic opportunity in San Diego and help the county recover from these hard times.
