CHULA VISTA BAYFRONT

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1 Chula Vista Bayfront 1 CHULA VISTA BAYFRONT The City of Chula Vista has worked closely with the Port to develop its bayfront into the popular and beautiful civic attraction it is today. The parks, marinas and businesses located near the bay draw city residents and visitors to the tidelands shore every day. Since 1991, Chula Vista has supported a Cultural Arts Commission of advisors to the City Council. The Commission has worked to create a vibrant and growing arts community within the city and remains an active force in the selection of public art including works in place and planned for Port tidelands. Chula Vista s Office of Cultural Arts, active in developing the opportunities for public art since 1996, uses the open areas along the bay for a regular series of events showcasing the artistic talents of Chula Vista s diverse communities. The annual Taste of the Arts event, the community gatherings and the painters and musicians using the park almost daily attest to the area s affinity and support for the arts. Konoids by Kenneth Capps is a popular work located in Chula Vista s Bayside Park. The Port, as an element of its partnership with the City of Chula Vista, maintains Konoids and the surrounding parkland. The Port is also working with the city to develop new artworks for the waterfront and other tidelands properties in Chula Vista.

2 Public Art Resource Guide The Port is committed to maintaining its collaborative efforts with the City. It continues to maintain each of the waterfront parks in this district and is seeking ways to incorporate public art on the tidelands areas now being reviewed for redevelopment. Chula Vista was incorporated as a city more than 90 years ago and has since grown to become the second largest city in San Diego County. The city continues to expand, adding thousands of residents each year. The majority of the new residential developments are being added to the east and the city is struggling to unite the eastern and western portions of its jurisdiction. The Port is already an active partner in the Chula Vista Bayfront Redevelopment Project that may address some of this need. The Project is an ambitious effort to bring former commercial properties and vacant lands managed by the Port and other landholders under the City s jurisdiction and into a unified development effort that would provide attractive recreation, cultural and business amenities for residents and visitors alike. The project area is adjacent to the waterfront parks and marina complex already developed by the Port and is envisioned as the largest redevelopment effort as yet undertaken along San Diego Bay. The Port s Public Art Department is a participant on the project s design team that has already begun to identify a long list of opportunities for public art within the redevelopment area. As described by the Port s Master Plan, the Chula Vista Bay front planning district extends from the Sweetwater flood control channel near the National City Marine Terminal to the wildlife preserve and power plant south of the marina. Ross Barrable created the To Remember Me wind harp in tribute to the late Ron McElliott the developer of the Chula Vista Marina. The wind harp is an acoustic sculpture that interacts with the atmosphere to create musical tones.

3 Chula Vista Bayfront 3 The district includes the two marinas, boat-launching ramp and the visitor serving and retail businesses of Chula Vista s harbor. The remaining portion of this district to the north is a wildlife habitat and wetland reserve served by the Chula Vista Nature Interpretive Center. The development preferences identified for this area in the Port s Master Plan are being reviewed and amended through the comprehensive planning process for the Bayfront Redevelopment Project. In addition, changes in the regional environment including increased demand for housing, the need for recreation areas to serve Chula Vista s own surging population and the City s need for additional tax revenues may lead to substantial changes to the recommendations included in the Port s Master Plan. The Port s Public Art Department continues to work with City s Office of Cultural Arts to identify and secure appropriate venues for public art in each development scenario being considered for this area. It is anticipated that much of the development proposed in the final version of the plan will fall within the guidelines and funding criteria of the Port s public art policy. This will provide Chula Vista with many opportunities for the development and acquisition of public artworks. The Public Art Department and Public Art Committee will continue to serve as resources during the subsequent development of individual projects emerging from the redevelopment effort. Currently there are two Port sponsored public artworks in this district the sculpture Konoids and Remembering Me, the windharp memorial to Chula Vista Harbor developer Ron McElliott. Wind Oars a multi-mast kinetic sculpture by artists Melanie Walker and George Peters will soon be installed at a site to be chosen in Bayside Park North. Wind Oars is coming as part of the Port s commitment to form partnerships with the public art programs of its member cities and was developed through a juried selection process managed by the City of Chula Vista s Cultural Arts Commission. The 10 masts of the Wind Oars project by artists George Peters and Melanie Walker will each support double wind vane oars will follow the wind and reflect sunlight as they move above Chula Vista Bayside Park. The new work will be unveiled in April of 2004.

4 Public Art Resource Guide Opportunities for Public Art The Public Art Department and Public Art Committee have identified opportunities for public art within the Chula Vista Bay front planning district. The following list is provided as an example of these opportunities and does not represent the full range of public art options possible in this area. The list is organized within the sub-areas identified for this district in the Master Plan. Public Art Goals for the Chula Vista Bayfront The Port s public art goals for this area are focused on the development and incorporation of artworks within the Bayfront Master Planning area. The Port is also interested in completing the Wind Oars project as approved by the Board of Port Commissioners and in working with the Chula Vista Office of Cultural Arts to identify other potential sites for public artworks on the local tidelands. Recommendations for Each Sub-Area D Street Area This area may provide a few opportunities to install artistdesigned interpretive works to compliment the adjacent natural preserve areas. It may also be possible to work in partnership with the City to site appropriate focal point artworks leading viewers on the water toward vistas on land. Gunpowder Point Though traffic to and from this area is limited to visitors of the Nature Center, there may be some opportunity to create temporary works or environmental artworks that would help to publicize the Port s interest and involvement in this area. G Street Corridor This area is being considered as part of the larger Chula Vista Bayfront redevelopment effort and will provide many opportunities for public art in the future. Including artists in the earliest stages of land planning and project design for this area is imperative and strongly supported by the Port. This area will be an appropriate venue for development of artist-designed elements for the pedestrian promenade, for focal point artworks, place-making work, and art project partnerships with local businesses. The Public Art Department will continue to provide public art advisory services to each participant in the Master Planning effort for this area. The Department will also work closely with arts organizations and City staff to select potential venues for public art. Marina Parkway Corridor Artist-designed streetscape improvements that could be used to herald the City s redevelopment plans could enliven this

5 Chula Vista Bayfront 5 area now. Street banners along with artist-designed way-finding elements and infrastructure elements will help this area retain its appeal once the redevelopment is underway. A community chosen focal point work or major gateway work could serve as an appropriate welcoming point within the final design of water front areas. Bayside Parkway The Parkway will benefit from artist-designed wayfinding elements and directional icons. Gateway elements, pedestrian and vehicle oriented roadway features, and artist-designed infrastructure elements will also be important additions as redevelopment efforts progress. Chula Vista Harbor As activity in this area increases, it will become an important site for temporary works, special art oriented events and public art partnerships with tenants. Artist-designed improvements for each of the building facades and the boating and support facilities could also enhance this area. The harbor may one-day need additional wayfinding elements and water-viewed work along the jetty and harbor entrance structures. The Port will work with City staff to identify and take advantage of each opportunity as it is identified. Wildlife Reserve Though there is no intensification of use proposed or considered for this area, there are opportunities to form public art partnerships leading to temporary projects, site-sensitive installations and art experiences promoting the community s interest in art and preservation. South Bay Future development opportunities are contingent on yet-to-beconceived redevelopment and/or expansion plans for the power plant and surrounding properties. Though local and state energy demands may dictate an exclusively utilitarian redevelopment project, artist involvement in façade and accessway improvements in this area will offer the potential for a substantial public art presence. Plant operators might also consider joining with the Port s Public Art Department for special art-related events and partnerships with other local organizations (Chula Vista schools, Nature Center, etc.) Existing Public Artworks Konoids Kenneth Capps Remembering Me Ross Barrable Wind Oars Melanie Walker and George Peters

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7 Chula Vista Bayfront 7 CHULA VISTA BAYFRONT MAP The following map depicts both the existing public artworks and sites for future public art on the Chula Vista Bayfront. The map is intended as a reference for the Public Art Resource Guide. It should not be used for land use planning purposes. This map was created from existing data sets maintained by the Port of San Diego. As with all of the maps included in the Public Art Resource Guide, the Chula Vista Bayfront map is presented at a useful scale that may not coincide with the Guide s other maps.