Why this matters
Chula Vista stakeholders suggest building a university will increase academic attainment for people in South County, especially Latinos.
After decades of planning, state and local officials expect to hit a few more milestones this year toward a university district in the South Bay, starting with a library that will play a central role in expanded educational opportunities.
Chula Vista leaders plan to complete the Millenia Library, a four-story, 168,000-square-foot, multi-use project at 1775 Millenia Ave. in eastern Chula Vista by the summer.
On the lower level, this building will house degree programs from San Diego State’s School of Nursing and SDSU Global Campus. The public library itself will occupy the first and second floor.
Officials also plan to lease space there for a café or restaurant, which would be open to the public at the main lobby entrance.
The top two floors will house the Chula Vista Entertainment Complex, which would occupy 75,000 square feet for film production facilities. Rentable creative offices and workspaces at the complex are set to open this summer as well, and film sets should be ready the following year.
The Millenia Library is being built just north of what’s envisioned as a multi-university campus known as the University Innovation District — a massive project that would cover over 380 acres of city-owned land and be the culmination of decades of discussions.
The area is south of Hunte Parkway near the Millenia neighborhood, close to new residential developments that are expected to add hundreds of homes.
The city is still looking for construction companies and contractors to provide the furnishing that would complete the library.
A spokesperson with the city said there are no construction plans for the district yet as officials await recommendations from a group known as the South County Higher Education Task Force.
The new task force is expected to meet for the first time in July, and it has a year to complete its work. State and local officials are in the process of populating the group with at least eight members, who will evaluate the feasibility and funding possibilities of creating a four-year university in Chula Vista. The deadline for Chula Vista residents to apply to serve on the task force is this week.
Proponents have long envisioned a partnership between the local community college and state and private universities that would offer bachelor’s degree programs in southern San Diego County. Assemblymember David Alvarez, D-San Diego, has helped push the project forward and his Assembly Bill 664 could be a focal point this year. It would allow Southwestern College to offer a limited number of bachelor’s degrees.
Starting in fall 2026, students will be able to complete bachelor’s degrees in the South Bay in the following studies through partnerships among Southwestern College and regional universities including SDSU, UC San Diego and Cal State San Marcos:
- Nursing
- Business administration
- Computer information systems
- Cybersecurity
- Industrial and organizational psychology
- Public health
- Neuroscience psychology
In fall 2027, CSU San Marcos plans to add programs in bilingual speech pathology and human development.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
