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A California bill meant to progress the creation of southern San Diego County’s first public university is now in effect.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed Assembly Bill 662, officially establishing a task force that evaluates next steps to build a university in Chula Vista.
“A university education is here, a university campus is coming,” Assemblymember David Alvarez, D-San Diego, who introduced the bill, said in a statement.
Chula Vista is the largest city in the state without a public university offering bachelor’s degree programs, and the second-largest city in San Diego County. Alvarez’s office has described the area as a “college desert,” citing the nearly 600,000 residents in South County without access to these degrees.
The task force will examine what is required to establish the university, including governance structures, funding models and other key factors.
Chula Vista leaders have been actively laying the groundwork, setting aside more than 380 acres of city-owned land in east Chula Vista for a “University Innovation District.” The area is south of Hunte Parkway near the Millenia neighborhood, close to new residential developments that are expected to add hundreds of homes.
The project envisions a binational, multi-institutional district in partnership with other state university and college systems. Its primary goal is to create a direct pipeline from education to employment for the region’s workforce demands.
Alvarez has led a series of legislative and funding milestones for the university, including a state bill to expedite the purchase of the land; securing $25 million in state funds for the Millenia library and future educational and college programs there; and funding partnerships with local colleges to make it easier for students to get certain bachelor’s degrees.
The newly formed task force will report recommendations to the Legislature by July 1, 2027, on how to move forward with creating Chula Vista’s university.
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