Construction is officially underway on Harbor Park, a highly-anticipated expansion along the Chula Vista Bayfront next to the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center.
The Port of San Diego and the city of Chula Vista broke ground Tuesday on the $15 million effort that will more than double the park’s size from approximately 12 acres to 25 acres.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” Port of San Diego Commissioner Ann Moore said.
Moore has been involved in planning the project for years. The first phase is expected to be completed next year.
The south phase will include a new nautical-themed playground and splash pad, along with other improvements designed to enhance beach and bay access and strengthen environmental resiliency along San Diego Bay.
Harbor Park, formerly known as Bayside Park, was created in connection with the resort’s development.
The California Coastal Conservancy awarded a $6.6 million grant to the Port for the park. Up to $2.26 million will go toward the south phase, while the remaining $4.34 million is earmarked for a future beach and boat launch project planned for the park.
Once Harbor Park is fully completed in the coming years, visitors will have access to a total of 51 acres of new park space added to the bayfront since 2024.
Even as construction begins, attention turns to what comes next for the hundreds of acres of cleared land nearby, long slated for vertical development.
“You know, I’m always working on stuff,” Moore said.
Moore said she would like to see another hotel added to the bayfront as soon as possible.
“Because right now Gaylord is, frankly, doing so well that they’re selling out a lot of times, and they need more hotel rooms,” Moore said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.