The Chula Vista bayfront doesn't look the same as it did two years ago. It doesn't even look the same as it did six months ago. The 535-acre redevelopment along San Diego Bay is moving fast, and 2026 has already brought two new park groundbreakings, an expanded trail system, and the first housing development tied to the master plan.
Harbor Park Is Doubling in Size
On March 3, 2026, city and port officials broke ground on the south phase of Harbor Park, the 12-acre expansion that will double the park from its original footprint to roughly 25 acres. The park sits directly in front of the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center, the 1,600-room hotel that opened in May 2025. Phase one will include a nautical-themed playground with multi-age climbing structures and a play slope, with construction expected to finish by fall 2026. Phase two adds a splash pad, targeted for spring 2027. The $15 million project is partially funded by a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy.
Harbor Park used to be called Bayside Park. The name changed as part of the redevelopment, and the footprint changed with it. What was once a small grassy area next to the marina is turning into the largest waterfront park in the South Bay.
Citrus Bay Park and the Old Sears Site
Two days after the Harbor Park groundbreaking, Chula Vista leaders joined developer CalWest to break ground on Citrus Bay Park. This half-acre, citrus-themed pocket park sits at the center of the new Citrus Bay townhome community, which occupies the former Sears parcel near Chula Vista Center Mall on Broadway. The old Sears store closed in 2020. CalWest bought the 13.35-acre site in 2023 and is building a residential community with the park as its centerpiece. The citrus theme pays tribute to Chula Vista's history as the "Lemon Capital of the World."
Sweetwater Park Is Already Open
The 39-acre Sweetwater Park opened on April 2, 2025, making it the Port of San Diego's largest park. It features nature playgrounds, two miles of walking and biking paths, sand dunes, native plants, and Kumeyaay signage throughout. A 25-foot sculpture called "Rigors of Flight" by artist Roberto Salas stands at the park's entrance. The total cost came in just under $20 million, with partial funding from the National Park Service's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program.
Families, runners, and birdwatchers have already made it a regular destination. The park sits next to the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, and the trails connect to the Living Coast Discovery Center on Gunpowder Point Drive.
The Bigger Picture
The Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan calls for more than 200 acres of parks, open space, and habitat restoration. About 130 of those acres are planned for new public parks, promenades, and bike paths connecting the waterfront. Thousands of new housing units are in the pipeline, including condos and apartments near the water. Mixed-use buildings with ground-floor retail are part of the plan.
The Gaylord Pacific anchors the whole thing. At $1.3 billion, it's the largest hotel in California and the first Gaylord Hotels property on the West Coast. Twelve restaurants, a 4.25-acre waterpark, and 477,000 square feet of event space have already started drawing conventions and tourists who previously bypassed the South Bay entirely.
The Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay RV resort opened in 2021 as an earlier phase of the development, bringing a mix of RV sites and vacation cottage rentals to the bayfront. And the marina area continues to serve boaters and kayakers who've used this stretch of the bay for decades.
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann has called the bayfront redevelopment "a game-changer for the entire South Bay." Looking at the construction cranes, the new parks, and the foot traffic around the Gaylord, it's hard to argue with him.
