Developers Swarm for Chance at 1,200-Room Bay Front Hotel

SAN DIEGO-With a week to go before the filing deadline, some 75 developers have submitted applications to the San Diego Port District to build a hotel at the bay front Campbell Shipyard site. Twenty four of those have submitted actual proposals, including such huge industry names as Omni Hotels and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Developers have until Nov. 20 to submit their qualifications for the planned 1,200-room hotel. Other firms submitting applications for the project include Hilton Hotels, Loews Hotels, Regent Partners, Gustafson Partners and Tishman Urban Development.

San Diego-based Allegis Development and Tishman previously tried to build a Westin Hotel at the site, but Manchester Resorts took over the plan when their financing fell through. Manchester shelved its plans last summer to concentrate on its Hyatt expansion and a resort project in Oceanside.

JMI Realty, owned by Padres owner John Moores, also expressed an interest in the project. However, Moores is dealing with getting the Downtown ballpark and redevelopment district off the ground.