Council Weighs Vision for Elite Athlete Center

Chula Vista council members offered differing visions for the 155-acre Elite Athlete Training Center as a master plan takes shape.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Remote Work

Council Weighs Vision for Elite Athlete Center

Live Poll

Should a publicly funded sports center prioritize local youth access over outside revenue?

Chula Vista City Council members offered differing visions for the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center at 2800 Olympic Parkway, a 155-acre campus with 297 beds. The council approved funding for a master plan on April 14, and no action was taken at the Tuesday meeting where Dudek presented.

Why it matters

Client revenue at the center fell 18% between 2022 and 2025, prompting questions about how the facility should be used going forward. The outcome will shape how the public-owned campus serves Chula Vista residents and visiting athletes.

The figures come from the center's own client revenue records, showing 84% of 2025 revenue came from on-site uses and a drop of 18% since 2022. Whether the top 10 clients' 53% share will persist remains unknown until the requested utilization report is completed.

The players

Chula Vista City Council

The Chula Vista City Council is the elected legislative body of the city, which owns and oversees the training center campus and approved funding for the master plan.

Dudek

Dudek is an environmental and engineering consulting firm hired to develop the master plan for the training center through stakeholder interviews and public outreach.

Cesar Fernandez

Cesar Fernandez is the Chula Vista deputy mayor who requested a three-year facility-by-facility utilization report from city staff.

The details

Dudek is developing the master plan through stakeholder interviews and public outreach, drawing on input from an Oct. 21 open house and an online survey. Community respondents asked for greater awareness of the center, more public access and expanded events, and benchmarking suggests about 10 fields is ideal for the site.

April 14: Council approved funding for the master plan.
Oct. 21: Open house gathered community input on the campus.
Tuesday, week of Oct. 27, 2026: Council heard Dudek's presentation and took no action.
Early 2027: Dudek is expected to return to council with key concepts.

Big Picture

The master-planning decision follows the city's choice to fund a campus-wide study rather than a single renovation, treating the 155-acre site as a whole. Revenue decline and the request for a three-year utilization report place the plan within a broader effort to match public facilities to how they are actually used.

Residents who use the campus or its events may see changes in public access and expanded programming as the plan takes shape. The council's eventual decision will determine how much of the 155-acre site is opened to the public versus reserved for elite athlete training.

The takeaway

Residents who want to influence how the campus is used can watch for the early 2027 council return and share their views on access and events. Following the utilization report will show where the center's revenue actually comes from.

What happens next

Dudek will develop key concepts from community input and return to the council early next year, and drafting of the plan is expected to run through next October.