CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- The City of Chula Vista will soon have a new facility that is a part of its University Development effort in the South Bay.
The 168,000-square foot Cinematic Arts Academy Center & Library will feature a brand new public library and a state-of-the-art television, film, and new media production studio for San Diego State University.
The facility will house programs for a four-year, research-centered higher education institution, complete with sound stages, modern editing suites, classrooms, and meeting rooms.
In a Wednesday event to announce the details of Phase 1 of the project, Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas said making this a reality has become a long time coming -- more than three decades, to be exact.
"Along the way we had so many naysayers, saying, ‘Chula Vista can't do this, why are they chasing this dream?’ And today, I can tell those people, ‘We do it in Chula Vista, we have vision for the future. We want to make our community better,’” said Salas.
At Wednesday’s news conference, South Bay and state officials were joined by school leaders to provide details on the initiative, which will be located off Millenia Avenue, just a few blocks from the Millenia Town Center and Otay Ranch Town Center.
Right now, the city has a partnership with SDSU and Southwestern Community College, and they’re looking to expand further.
Salas added, “We fully expect once we get this up and running as a successful program that there will be other universities that want a site for a multi-institutionalized model, and that's something we've put on the table for many years.”
Construction on the facility is expected to be completed by 2025.
Officials said the new public library at the facility will be the city’s first since 1995.
More information on the project can be found at https://www.chulavistaca.gov/residents/university-park-innovation-district.
