As the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center inches closer to what officials hope is a transformative beginning, Sweetwater Park opened Wednesday, just north of the development.
Port of San Diego and Chula Vista city officials, along with community members and project partners, celebrated an addition that Mayor John McCann said creates “a Chula Vista Bayfront for the people.”
The park is the port’s 23rd and largest. It features 39 acres of recreational space. It is a “natural-habitat oriented” space featuring playgrounds, 2 miles of walkways and bike paths, sand dunes, native plants and space for passive activities such as bird watching.
“Sweetwater Park provides access to a unique and historic area for all residents and visitors of the bayfront,” said Danielle Moore, chair of the Board of Port Commissioners. “Every element and feature of this park is designed to highlight the natural habitat and to provide access to, and appreciation of this land.”
The total cost for Sweetwater Park, including design and construction support, is just under $20 million, part of which was funded by the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program through the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Kumeyaay signage is featured throughout the park, along with “Rigors of Flight,” a public art installation by Roberto Salas.
“This 25-foot-tall sculpture of a furcula, or wishbone, is a tribute to flight taken by birds in the area,” according to a statement from the port about Salas’ art.
The 535-acre redevelopment project “envisions a world-class destination in the South Bay – a unique place for people to live, work and play,” according to the port. Chula Vista broke ground on Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center, a $1.35 billion project, in July 2022,
It is scheduled to open in May with 1,600 rooms.
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 and other coastal resources.
“Sweetwater Park opened ahead of the Gaylord Pacific to show that public access and economic development go hand in hand,” said Ann Moore, Chula Vista’s appointee to the Board of Port Commissioners. “Projects like Gaylord help make parks like this possible – creating a new space to connect with the best of nature while protecting our wildlife habitat and coastal resources.”
Updated at 8:30 p.m. April 2, 2025
