Long-stalled efforts to develop Chula Vista’s bay front got a boost Tuesday from the San Diego Unified Port District.
The port's board of commissioners approved opening negotiations with a Houston-based developer to build a hotel and convention center on San Diego’s south bay. The seven-member board selected RIDA Development Corp. for the job, which includes a 1,400- to 1,600-room hotel and a 400,000-square-foot convention center.
The company is currently developing a 1,000-room convention center hotel in Houston, according to its website.
Jennifer Windle, the port's director of marketing and communications, said the board's action doesn't include any price tags but allows the port to enter into exclusive negotiations with the company.
“We’re not talking amounts at this point, but the negotiations would be around what the development project might look like and what might actually come from this particular developer," Windle said.
RIDA was the only company to respond to the port’s request for qualifications, which was posted in June. Windle said the company has been thoroughly vetted.
Construction of the hotel and convention resort is part of the first step of the four-phase plan to develop 535 acres of Chula Vista bay front property. Phase one also includes a public park, a fire station, a mixed-use residential development, an RV park and efforts to restore wildlife habitats.
The project is expected to take 24 years to complete and provide thousands of jobs, a hot topic in this year's Chula Vista mayoral and city council races.
Chula Vista leaders have worked for decades to develop the area, including an effort begun in 2002 that led to a master plan the California Coastal Commission approved in 2012.
During that period, the city was working with Gaylord Entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee, to build a bay-front hotel and convention center. But in 2008, the company walked away from the project because of regulatory challenges and labor issues.
