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Slips Into Berth |
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San Diego Bay as visitor destination |
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The key to National City’s waterfront portal is being turned, and so is the dirt on what will be the 234-slip National City Marina basin. Iron Horse Grading of El Cajon is excavating and removing topsoil from the 20-acre parcel at Goesno Place and West 32nd Street. The first phase will remove 200,000 cubic yards of soil suitable for fill. Another 400,000 cubic feet will be dredged and deposited at sea in a second phase scheduled for this summer. With landscaping and design, the estimated project cost is $15.5 million. A developer has not yet been selected; requests for proposals will be solicited in April. Also steaming ahead are other improvements, says Eric Crockett, project manager for the National City Community Development Commission. “The widening of Bay Marina Drive is out to bid and the master plan for the Gateway is under way. We’re setting up to start marketing the project in the spring or summer this year,” he says. Last year Marina Way was extended from 32nd Street to the planned commercial and recreational project on the Sweetwater River Channel adjoining the existing National City Marine Terminal in a $4 million project financed by the Port of San Diego. *** Knight & Carver has finished work on three big boats at its National City shipyard over the last three months: a $3.8 million, 70-foot custom luxury motor yacht; a $2.8 million, 65-foot custom cruising catamaran; and a $1.2 million repower and upgrade of a 98-foot sportfishing, cruising motor yacht. *** Final statistics gathered by the National Marine Manufacturers Association for 2001 report unit pleasure boat sales declined 6 percent to 541,300, yet total expenditures on boat purchases increased 2.3 percent to $25.6 billion. A new boat’s average pricetag increased 9 percent. The average layout for a new boat, motor and trailer was $25,663. Total registered boats was nearly unchanged at 17 million. *** The Everett, Wash.-based aircraft carrier Lincoln is engaged in operations 100 miles off the San Diego coast and is likely to visit North Island during the month before being deployed in June. Among San Diego-based flattops, the Constellation will be in and out of port on training exercises, the Nimitz is at North Island for maintenance, while the Stennis remains in the Arabian Sea. *** The San Diego City Council has selected Wallace Roberts & Todd to prepare a $250,000 feasibility study of the decades-old vision of a Bay-to-Bay link — San Diego Bay to Mission Bay via waterways connecting to the San Diego River. A new scenario would make the link through the North Bay Redevelopment Area by open space with greenbelts, bike paths and public art augmenting water features. The study will encompass storm, sewer, water, utilities, transportation, noise, land use, urban design and economic aspects. The San Diego Port Tenants Association sees limited commercial value in the proposal. “We feel it’s of fairly marginal economic importance to bay tenants,” says Richard Cloward, SDPTA executive director. The only association segment that might benefit would be some small-craft marinas, he projects. Wallace Roberts & Todd expects to begin work this month and finish within a year. The design and planning firm previously prepared the Mission Bay Plan Update and the Balboa Park East Mesa Precise Plan. *** The port has launched a major marketing effort, “The Big Bay,” to promote San Diego Bay and its 27 miles of waterfront, 16 parks, marinas, restaurants, hotels and hundreds of shops and businesses as a unified tourism destination. “The market extends to San Diego residents as well as Southern California and America,” explains John Hawkins, president of Cloud 9 Shuttle and ConVis board chair. “It means jobs — good jobs — for workers in a variety of fields,” adds Nick A. Vitalich Jr., president of Chesapeake Fish Co. and SDPTA chairman. *** Sworn in as new Port Commission officers are Stephen P. Cushman, San Diego, chairman; Jess Van Deventer, National City, vice chairman; and Peter L. P. Janopaul, San Diego, secretary. With the resignation, the port has hired Sheppard Mullin attorney Robert D. Rose (who prosecuted pyramid-schemer J. David Dominelli in the 1980s) to conduct an independent review of conflict of interest issues, which the San Diego District Attorney’s office also is investigating. Malcolm was a paid consultant to Duke Energy, which operated the South Bay Power Plant on a port lease. In addition, the port has hired Robert M. Stern (former legal counsel to the state Fair Political Practices Commission) to design an ethics policy. *** The Port Commission has named Bruce Hollingsworth executive director of the port; he had been serving on an interim basis since September. The port also has promoted Lorrin Boyer to director of marketing and Diana Lucero to director of communications and community services. *** Cruise ship visits are scant this month at the B Street Pier. Scheduled are Holland America Line’s Statendam Feb. 1, 16 and 26 and Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas Feb. 3, 10 and 17. *** Yet whale watching is at full fleet for baleenatics. From Point Loma, H&M Landing and Point Loma Sportfishing, and from Downtown, Hornblower Cruises and San Diego Harbor Excursion all offer three-hour whale watching tours departing from San Diego Bay twice daily.
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