Port Commissioner Frank Urtasun, Coronado's appointee to the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, spoke to residents at the Coronado Roundtable on Friday, Aug. 28, at the Coronado Public Library.
Urtasun is the first commissioner in Port history appointed by two different member cities. He previously served as Imperial Beach's appointee from 1992 to 2002 before Coronado appointed him in 2022.
The Roundtable, an adult civic engagement group that meets in the library's Winn Room, was also available by Zoom. No transcript or recap of the session has been published.
Urtasun represents Coronado on the seven-member Port board. At the Coronado City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 2, he outlined several projects affecting the island, according to the Coronado Eagle & Journal.
At the Ferry Landing, a new restaurant from the Social Syndicate group is under construction, with a tentative opening projected for March 2027. A deal negotiated between Port Coronado Associates and the Port gives PCA up to 12 months to meet preconditions before securing a 35-year lease, The Coronado News reported in June. Urtasun told the council a final Port Board vote on the lease was scheduled for June 23. The outcome of that vote has not been confirmed in public records.
The lease had been in jeopardy. In November 2025, Urtasun told The Coronado News he opposed the Port taking over direct management of the site. "I just don't think that's the role that government should be playing," he said at the time. "The Port of San Diego has a 63-year history of public-private partnerships."
Urtasun also reported in June that all existing ferries are scheduled to be replaced with electric vessels starting in 2027. The California Air Resources Board has contributed approximately $15 million in grant funding for the transition. A new ferry route from the 5th Avenue Landing to Chula Vista is being funded by Flagship Cruises and Events.
In the Coronado Cays, the Port is developing an erosion mitigation plan for Grand Caribe Shoreline Park. Restroom designs at Tidelands Park are being finalized, with completion projected for spring 2027.
Before joining the Port board, Urtasun spent 38 years at Sempra Energy Services Corporation, rising to regional vice president of external relations. He chaired the San Diego Housing Commission from 2017 to 2019.
The Port manages 34 miles of shoreline. It does not collect tax dollars, instead generating revenue through its real estate portfolio to support public services.
The Coronado Roundtable meets periodically at the Coronado Public Library. The next meeting date has not been announced. Residents can check the library's online calendar for updates.
