With the new Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center now towering over the Chula Vista bayfront, several organizations are preparing for a hiring blitz to staff the facility, it was announced Tuesday.
Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 at Southwestern College's Library, the career fairs are scheduled to help Gaylord and the San Diego Workforce Partnership fill more than 800 positions.
"The city of Chula Vista is excited for the upcoming opening of the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center," Chula Vista City Manager Maria Kachadoorian said.
"Even more exciting are all the new employment opportunities for our community and local economy. In partnership with Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center, Southwestern College and Workforce Partnership, we encourage job seekers to attend the hiring fair and connect with a leading employer in our city."
Positions to be filled include jobs in guest services, hotel operations and at the resort's 12 restaurants and bars, among others.
"The Workforce Partnership's vision is that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment," said Rachel Bereza, president and CEO of San Diego Workforce Partnership. "By bringing together local talent with the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center, we're not just filling positions; we're creating pathways to prosperity while strengthening our community and helping grow Chula Vista's vibrant economy."
The 535-acre Chula Vista Bayfront redevelopment "envisions a world- class destination in the South Bay — a unique place for people to live, work and play," according to a statement from the Port of San Diego. Chula Vista leaders broke ground on the resort and convention center in July 2022, a $1.35 billion project with 1,600-rooms.
Gaylord Pacific's plans include a convention center with four ballrooms, three levels of meeting space and two outdoor meeting and event lawns as well as multiple restaurants, a sports bar, resort-style pool and an array of recreational facilities.
The overall Bayfront master plan calls for more than 200 acres of parks, open space, a shoreline promenade, walking trails, RV camping, shopping and dining. Projects within the master plan are also intended to establish ecological buffers to protect wildlife habitat, species and other coastal resources.
Construction is also underway on the $19.7 million Sweetwater Park in Chula Vista, the first park space planned as part of the redevelopment and the port's 23rd park along San Diego Bay. The 21-acre park is being built near E Street and Bay Boulevard just north of the Gaylord Pacific Resort.
Features will include meadows and specialty gardens, nature playgrounds, seating and picnic areas, pedestrian walkways and bike paths (in addition to the Sweetwater Bicycle and Pedestrian Path that was built and opened in the spring of 2021), sand dunes, scenic overlooks, incorporation of Kumeyaay signage, public art, public restrooms and 216 parking spaces.
