An innovative autonomous vehicle research and development hub is coming to Chula Vista. Millenia Smart Park from developer Chesnut Properties will feature small and large drone aerial testing, marine drone testing and an autonomous vehicle testing track along with office buildings and research space.

Chula Vista has already committed to becoming a smart city. The area is one of only two autonomous vehicle proving grounds designated by the US Department of Transportation in California, making it an ideal location for the park. "There is already an infrastructure in place in San Diego to support a totally autonomous community," Lee Chesnut of Chesnut Properties tells GlobeSt.com. "It starts with the city of Chula Vista, which is committed to being the smartest city in the country. The preparation has been made to transition into the future of a technology community, and the City of Chula Vista is leading that and the Millennia development is prepared for that."

Chesnut has a distinct and innovative vision for the property, which leverages the location and the existing technology network in the market. "The land and the location is an immense resource, and I picture very powerful large-scale facilities clustering along the 125 Freeway, creating an incredible hub for technology development," he says. "It is an incredible location. We realized that the property has a position in the community that is unmatched by anyone in country. It will be an incredible location that will represent the best that can be built. This is going to be an example for the rest of the country to follow."

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Kelsi Maree Borland

Kelsi Maree Borland is a freelance journalist and magazine writer based in Los Angeles, California. For more than 5 years, she has extensively reported on the commercial real estate industry, covering major deals across all commercial asset classes, investment strategy and capital markets trends, market commentary, economic trends and new technologies disrupting and revolutionizing the industry. Her work appears daily on GlobeSt.com and regularly in Real Estate Forum Magazine. As a magazine writer, she covers lifestyle and travel trends. Her work has appeared in Angeleno, Los Angeles Magazine, Travel and Leisure and more.