A broad alliance of business associations has unveiled a new theme and logo to promote San Diego as a technology hot spot. The theme Ð "San Diego ÐTechnology's Perfect Climate" Ð and its associated graphics will be licensed to trade and economic development associations and made available for free to the region's high-tech companies.

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    Speaking of high-tech marketing, a month after opening a San Diego office, Intelliscape Films has landed the contract to produce a short film Ð seven to nine minutes Ð on the benefits for high-tech employees to work in San Diego. Copies will be sent this fall to more than 10,000 engineers, scientists and other targeted technology employees around the world. The film is a collaborative effort of the American Electronics Association-San Diego, Biocom San Diego, the Regional Economic Development Corp., the Software Industry Council, San Diego Tech Force and UCSD Connect. Intelliscape, headed by Bruce Caulk, was selected from 20 companies that bid on the project.

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    Ready for another El Niño effect? San Diego County Water Authority purchases from the Metropolitan Water Authority in fiscal 1998, ended June 30, were down 56,000 acre feet, or 11.4 percent, to 436,000 acre feet from the 492,000 acre feet purchased in fiscal 1997. "El Niño suppressed demand," says Janice Collins, water authority spokeswoman. "Specifically, outdoor irrigation was down. The other effect is local agencies don’t have to buy as much water from us because their reservoirs are full. What is significant is they can use that water in the hot summer."

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    Escrow fell through last month on Crescent Real Estate Equities' proposed purchase from Southwest Value Partners of four Downtown office buildings and an office off Miramar Road. Crescent left behind a sizable deposit; Southwest remains the largest private owner of office space Downtown.

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    Every number, to paraphrase singer Rod Stewart, tells a story. Consider this sampling from the San Diego Chamber's latest Economic Bulletin: Throughout 1997, an average of 1,227,200 San Diegans had jobs, a record. The number of payroll jobs jumped 42,900 in the year. Also a record. Unemployment hit 4.2 percent, the lowest of the decade. Inflation fell to 1.7 percent, just a tick above 1995's 1.5 percent, which was the lowest in 35 years of record keeping. Higher housing costs accounted for two-thirds of the increase in San Diego’s inflation rate. With today’s hot real estate market, the effect could be even more pronounced when 1998's data is compiled.

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    In an interview about a decade ago, Corky McMillin said he took comfort in knowing that if things ever went sour at his National City-based company, he and his sons could always strap on tools and build homes for income. Not much chance today that this thriving icon of San Diego’s construction industry Ð his firm has 13 new-home projects under way in Southern California Ð would have to do that. But McMillin is changing the name of his real estate empire to better reflect its operations. It’s now The Corky McMillin Companies (his real name is Macey L. McMillin). Under that umbrella sit these five companies: McMillin Land Development, run by Ken Baumgartner; McMillin Homes, run by Steve McGill; McMillin Commercial, run by Mike Binkle; McMillin Realty, run by Shirley Babbitt; and McMillin Mortgage, run by Dave Johnston.

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    Shopping center marketing directors ordinarily don’t last at one spot for seven years. Cherilyn Megill, Horton Plaza's extraordinary marketing genius, did. But now she's gone, having been lured by the center's former owner, Trizec Hahn, to serve as director of the corporate marketing department. Her office view changes from one of Downtown to one of UTC. Life could be worse. But that’s not all that’s new. "My baby (a girl) is due on Oct. 27," Megill says. "I’m having a little girl. So there are lots of changes going on in my life."

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    With the commercial market jamming, CalMat Properties is seeking city permission to nearly triple the size of a proposed office complex in Rio Vista East. The six-story project would total 350,000 square feet and continue the march of commercial development from the Mission Valley core toward Qualcomm Stadium.

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Downtown San Diego doesn’t know much about Intracorp, but it will soon. The Canadian company, a leading developer of residential and commercial properties with offices in Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto, has set up offices in San Diego as Intracorp Real Estate. Running the show from the First National Bank building is Keith Fernandez, executive v.p. and COO, who moved his family here from Hawaii to take the job. Along with a residential development in La Jolla, Fernandez is planning a 55-unit attached for-sale project Downtown at the corner of Second Avenue and Market Street. Other projects are likely. In the greater Puget Sound region, Intracorp's recent efforts include 1,375 units of attached residential and 2,115 units of detached, as well as 650,000 square feet of suburban office and industrial.

Fernandez

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    JER Hudson Housing Capital, a New York-based real estate firm that specializes in financing affordable housing projects, has opened a San Diego office Downtown in Symphony Towers that will serve the Western United States. The office is headed by Philip Gorgone, who last worked for Lehamn Housing Capital and was formerly v.p. of the Sickels Group.

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    The first construction project for San Diego’s North Embarcadero Planning Alliance, a 121-suite Residence Inn by Marriott, has broken ground. Scheduled to open in March at 1747 Pacific Highway, the $14.5-million project will be the first hotel built Downtown since 1992, and the Centre City's third sporting the Marriott logo. The inn, which will be owned by San Clemente-based Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. and operated by Sunstone Hotel Properties Inc., is of the increasingly popular extended-stay hotel variety.
    The four-story, 87,000-square-foot hotel is being developed for Sunstone by Barone Galasso & Associates Inc. The project was designed by Fehlman LaBarre Architects and is being built by Roel Construction Co.

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    Rubio's Baja Grill fare now will be part of the catering menus offered by Picnic People and Festivities Catering & Special Events, both divisions of Hospitality Inc. The agreement between Rubio's Restaurant Inc. Ð Rubio's has closed its catering division Ð and the catering companies is likely an industry first, says, Frank Puleo, president-elect of the National Caterers Association. Hospitality will offer meals from Rubio's menu at per-person catering charges of $9 to $15, not including staff charges, says Lisa Richards, founder and president of Hospitality. "Our aligning with Rubio's gives our customers a very sought-after menu in San Diego."

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    The San Diego Maritime Museum sails its flagship Star of India, three times this month to celebrate receiving the World Ship Trust Maritime Heritage Award, one of the most prestigious that can be presented to a historic ship. Only 10 ships have received the honor since 1980.
    The Maritime Heritage award is such a big deal that traditionally it has been presented by top political officials or royalty. For example, Queen Elizabeth II presented the award in 1983 to the Mary Rose, which was Henry VIII's flagship while President Reagan did the honors in 1987 for the USS Constitution.
    President Clinton has been invited to present the award to the Star of India, either in San Diego or at the White House. Discussions are under way. Invited to accept the honor on behalf of the ship is Walter Cronkite, a trustee emeritus for the Maritime Museum.
    This month, the Star will take to the bay's waters, and then out to the Pacific Ocean, on Aug. 9, 15 and 16, leaving its Harbor Drive berth about 9 a.m. each day. Since the restoration of the 1863 ship that culminated with a July 4, 1976 sailing under her own sails, the Star has sailed only nine times.

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    Roel Construction Co. is busy with tenant improvement work on SDG&E's new headquarters in Building 3 in Century Park in Kearny Mesa. The 17,000-square-foot project will finish in October. SDG&E is relocating as Sempra, the Fortune 500 firm created by the merger of SDG&E parent Enova Corp. and Pacific Enterprises, moves into the well-lighted landmark Downtown building on Ash Street.

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    So you want to get in on the Downtown ballpark action and make a little real estate investment. Well, Tim Winslow with BRE has almost a full block at 12th Avenue and Market Street that’s available for $3.85 million. It’s being promoted for high-density residential. Tickle him at winslow@breb.com for more.

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    "New building and leasing activity is surpassing anything we saw in the 1980s, says Stath Karras, executive v.p. of John Burnham & Co. * Oncor International. "Instead of adding inventory to markets with 20-25 percent vacancy, we are building in markets with single-digit vacancy." A Burnham study of the first six months in commercial office and industrial markets shows the county with 3.85 million square feet of office space under construction or newly completed. That's on par with the 3.9 million square feet recorded in 1986 at the height of the go-go 1980s. But this time, the mid-year office vacancy rate was 8 percent, compared to 25.1 percent in 1986. In the industrial/R&D market, 2.9 million square feet is recently completed with 8.1 million square feet under construction.

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    Commercial Real Estate Advisory Services brokers J.R. Chantengco and John Pedroarena are marketing 85,000 square feet of buildings on the old Naval Training Center as perfect for high tech, R&D and office.

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    Shea Homes is bolstering its San Diego presence via its acquisition of UDC Homes. Walnut Creek-based Shea gets nine UDC projects in San Diego to go with its existing neighborhood developments, Bolero at Rancho del Rey, Rolling Hills Estates in Poway, Torrey Point in Torrey Hills, Sandalwood in Encinitas, Monterey in Carlsbad and Heritage in Vista. With UDC in the fold, Shea should sell 625 new homes this year, says Mark Brock, president of Shea Homes San Diego Inc.

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    Arts & Crafts Press and Rush Press, both part of Continental Graphics' San Diego operations, are included in a pending merger with Houston-based Consolidated Graphics Inc., the nation's fastest growing printing company. Gene Valles will continue to run the local operations, as he has for the last 25 years.

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    With lots of new employees and too little room FirstWorld Communications has elected to triple its space to 35,000 square feet. The company’s growth is fueled by the expansion of its fiber optic-based networks into new regions. Its employee head count, now 144, is nearly three times where it started the year, with 53 of those workers in San Diego.

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    The "Call For Entries" is under way for the San Diego Building Owners and Managers Association's 1998-99 Office Building of the Year (TOBY) competition, reports David Pino, president of BOMA/San Diego. The 10th annual competition is open to all office buildings in San Diego County. The deadline to submit is Aug. 25. For more information, call 460-5641.

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    Having heard its listeners loud and clear, X-BACH 540 AM has returned to locally produced classical programming. The station is dumping the nationally syndicated Beethoven Satellite Network it used for six weeks.

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    The newest member of the SAIC board is D.W. Dorman, the chairman, president and CEO of Pointcast Inc.

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    Scarce tee times at top golf courses may be a problem for busy duffers, but they're an opportunity for M&M Tee Times. Into the breach of mandatory 5 a.m., week-in-advance-calls for those seeking slots at a neat course like Torrey Pines, M&M will make those calls for clients. The cost runs from $10 to $30, depending on the course to be played. The company also rents quality clubs. Call (619) 456-8366, for information.

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    The Del Mar Fair was a smashing success, drawing a record 1,164,360 guests, a 7.3 percent increase from last year, during its 20-day run. The busiest day was July 3 when 101,867 passed through fair turnstiles.

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    In a Q&A interview with RCR, a leading telecommunications magazine, the subject for Qualcomm's Irwin Jacobs was how his company is countering European efforts to make the next generation of wireless devices in compatible with Qualcomm's products. Citing its existing patents and intellectual property rights, Jacobs spoke confidently that Qualcomm would prevail. Later, when asked about the possibility that Lucent Technologies would buy Qualcomm, Jacobs acknowledged that anything is possible in business but said the company wasn’t for sale.

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    Winchell's has introduced a new line of flavored-dough donuts. They don’t cost any more; surprise your office mates with a morning treat before their noontime jog.

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    With median base home prices up 16 percent, the only thing holding back San Diego’s housing market is plummeting inventory, says Tim Sullivan, principal of the Meyers Group. Sullivan says total new-home sales this year should beat 1997's 8,275 units. At mid-year the median condo went for $185,990 and the median detached house for $290,490.

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    With buildable land getting ever harder to find, Presley Homes went on a buying spree, acquiring 290 lots in three communities for $18 million. The purchases Ð one in Castle Creek and the others in Otay Ranch Ð bring to 12 the number of Presley projects in San Diego.

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    The Stickler Design Group's growth has earned a ranking of 349th in an Engineering News-Record report on the nation's top 500 design firms.

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    Sales should start late this month at Ryland Homes' 228-acre Rancho San Vicente in Ramona. Homes start in the $190,000s.

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    With construction levels at their highest point in 10 years, the city of San Diego’s Development Services Department reports that requests for field inspections were up 67 percent, to 14,246, in March.

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    Vortex Technologies, a Mission Valley-based electronic component distribution company, is booming, with accounts up 30 percent to 262 in the last six months. To handle its growing clientele, Jim Kalb's company has opened a new office in Huntsville, Ala.

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    Parents work. Parents want to be as close as possible to their children, especially when those children are young. Parents who work for tenants of American Assets Torrey Reserves project are luckier than most. Ninteman Construction Co. has just finished a $1 million day care facility at the 17-acre commercial/office project. The 8,100 square foot day care building, Ninteman's fifth project at Torrey Reserve, can accommodate up to 152 children and 14 staff members. Brian Paul & Associates was the architect.

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    UCSD captured $291,9 million in federal R&D dollars in 1996, placing it third among the nation's universities, behind Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington. The results were featured in a report from the National Science Foundation.

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    Seeking to separate growth-control rhetoric from fact, the Building Industry of San Diego County has released a study in which growth did not rank in the top three concerns of county residents. The more than 500 people surveyed reported that education, crime/drugs and roads/traffic were the top three issues, with growth ranking fourth.
    When those being surveyed were asked how their daily lives have been affected positively by growth, the most common answer was the creation of jobs. The BIA contends that the media portray new housing as the stimulus of growth, while only 2.2 percent of those surveyed cited housing as an unfavorable aspect of growth. Still, with 1 million people expected to move to San Diego in the next 20 years, growth is a concern. (The pace is equivalent to adding a new Poway each year.) Of those surveyed, 40.1 percent say they want growth to continue, but the pace is too fast.
    "The building industry has an opportunity to respond to this new growth by providing homes for San Diego families," says Mark McMillin, president of the BIA. "We also have a responsibility to provide real solutions to some of our growing pains such as traffic congestion and failing infrastructure. San Diegans deserve better than political rhetoric, they deserve proactive solutions that will make a tangible difference in San Diego’s economic well being and quality of life. We look forward to being part of the solution."

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Sullivan, Wertz building.

Illustrating the pricey nature of Gaslamp Quarter real estate, the four-story building that’s home to the law firm of Sullivan, Wertz, McDade & Wallace and Kenny's Steakhouse has sold for $4.1 million, or $175 a square foot. The seller was Black Equities of Beverly Hills, represented by CB Richard Ellis Inc.; the buyer Keys, Whiteside & Hart of Boulder, Colo, represented by John Burnham & Co. Built in 1989 by the law firms' partners, and later sold to Black Equities, the 23,500-square-foot project is 100 percent leased. "The high per square foot sales price is indicative of investor interest in Gaslamp Quarter commercial properties," says Eric Tompkins of CB Richard Ellis. ***     Construction is under way on Barone Galaso and Associates' full-block Little Italy Family Housing development at India and Beech streets. With Roel Construction serving as the contractor, the project will feature 19 two-bedroom and 18 three-bedroom apartments, underground parking, retail shops and the Barking Dog Café. Work should finish in February. ***

    CPS Printing in Carlsbad has received its ISO 9002 certification, making it only the second full-service commercial printer in San Diego County to earn the designation. The company has grown from less than $1 million to more than $18 million in annual revenue since it was purchased eight years ago by Martin Solarsh and Philip Lurie. Other county printers with ISO certification are Graphic Communications, Trend Offset and Trade Services.

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    Built by Cubic Transportation Systems in Kearny Mesa, the first automated fare collection system in mainland China is up and running for the Guangzhou Metro Corp. train system.

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    As Qualcomm grows, so do its space needs. Last month, employees began to occupy the company’s newest, and largest, custom-built facility, the four-story, 277,952-square-foot, Building AA on Campus Point Drive. The building has more than 900 offices as well as labs, machine rooms and a sales room. Roel Construction did the work, of course.

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    When Agua Hedionda Creek sets to really flowing during the rainy season alongside the Rancho Carlsbad Mobile Home Park, flooding is a big concern. To solve the problem, the city of Carlsbad is contracting with Rick Engineering Co. to conduct a battery of hydrologic and hydraulic studies and also to create preliminary plans for detention and channel improvements.

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    The San Diego Chamber Orchestra is switching its Downtown series of evening concerts from Sundays to Wednesdays and moving the venue from the Imperial Bank to 4th & B. It’s part of the group's efforts to expand the audience for classical music. The orchestra's season opens Oct. 25. For tickets or information, call (888) 848-7326.

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    Del Mar resident Barry Heermann, on two August dates, will sign copies of his book, "Building Team Spirit: Activities for Inspiring and Energizing Teams." Signings will be Aug. 10, 7-8:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Hazard Center, and Aug. 13 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at La Jolla Embassy Suites, and also Aug. 13, from 7-8 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Encinitas Town Center store.

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    The median income reported on the 1,014,658 state tax returns filed for 1996 in San Diego was $24,329. That ranks San Diego No. 22 in terms of median income among the state's 57 counties. Marin, with $34,654 was No. 1; Colusa at $17,140 was No. 57.

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    When County Assessor Gregory Smith surveys the 830,000 parcels of real estate, 132,000 businesses, 18,400 boats, 13,579 mobile homes and 4,800 aircraft within his realm, he finds values on the rise. As such, the assessed value of all taxable property in the county is up $11 billion, or 7.4 percent, to $161 billion. In the city of San Diego, assessed values rose most for homeowners in Mission Valley, up 18.6 percent; Scripps Ranch, up 14.6 percent; Carmel Mountain Ranch, up 11.9 percent; and Mission Beach, up 10. 2 percent. Values rose the least in Otay Mesa, up 2.7 percent. In the county, Rancho Santa Fe homes rose in assessed value the most, up 9.3 percent, while those in Bonita, up 1.2 percent, rose the least.