The Chula Vista City Council Tuesday unanimously approved a Letter of Intent with Chula Vista Entertainment Complex to build film production facilities on the top two floors of City’s Millenia Library building.
Chula Vista Entertainment Complex (CVEC) will build extensive entertainment production capacity across 75,000 square feet of space through a multiyear lease. The project will include three phases, with an opportunity for CVEC to develop production studios across the street from the library.
The project is estimated to bring in $545 million in economic development to Chula Vista over the next decade. CVEC also projects up to 150-200 permanent jobs will be generated along with 36,000 working days for casts and crews annually. The new facility is expected to foster talent while attracting new production projects to Southern California.
“The Chula Vista Entertainment Complex will be the only campus of its kind in San Diego County,” said Chula Vista Mayor John McCann. “This project will set a new standard for our region and will bring critical new economic development to South County.”
CVEC CEO and Founder Aaron David Roberts said the project will support the growth of the region’s film and media production industries. It will be accessible to filmmakers, creators, and businesses of all sizes.
“The Hollywood model is broken—and CVEC is here to change that,” Roberts said. “Chula Vista is a City that dreams big, and as big dreamers ourselves, we’re proud to join forces on this industry-shifting complex. Together, we’re not just revitalizing the local production economy; we’re putting San Diego County back on the map as a powerhouse for media and innovation.”
Phase 1 of the project will involve building video editing bays and sound effect facilities, audio post-production studios, coworking and office space in the Millenia Library building. The City will assign purchase option for the almost 9-acre Lot 1 located across the street to CVEC. In Phase 2 of the CVEC project, the company plans to develop an approximately 89,600-square-foot virtual production studio campus on a nearly 5-acre portion of Lot 1.
A third phase of the project could include any combination of film/arts/entertainment-themed commercial, retail, hotel, and parking on the remainder of Lot 1. If there is sufficient demand, additional production studios could be constructed in Phase 3.
