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*** With what may be the largest enterprise deployment of corporate instant messaging, San Diego’s WiredRed Software, says that the U.S. Department of Labor has purchased 18,000 seats of e/pop Alert, WiredRed’s new instantaneous emergency notification system. The product will provide the DOL with the ability to notify personnel throughout its Washington, D.C., headquarters about emergencies, meetings and important memoranda in real time. Allen Drennan, CEO and founder of WiredRed, says his company’s flagship product was designed specifically for sprawling, campus-type facilities like the DOL. *** Bookings at the newly expanded San Diego Convention Center are strong for 2002, with 727,000 room nights already spoken for compared to 500,000 in 2001. Overall, ConVis expects the number of visitors to San Diego this year to grow 2.4 percent. The hotel room inventory will grow 2.5 percent, providing 50,690 rooms to serve visitors. With the addition of new rooms and visitors canceling each other out, occupancy will remain flat at 70 percent, a decline from the 73.5 percent the region enjoyed two years ago. *** “Yes, we did make it with some room to spare,” reports Dave Mitchell of the Neurosciences Institute, which needed to reach a $3 million annual fund-raising goal by Dec. 31 to unlock a $2 million match from Manhattan’s Lewis and Dorothy Cullman. “We’re at $3.3 million, with more gifts coming in.” *** Interviews with Dr. Phil Bauer, Jack Berkman, Charles Bieler and Lee Hamilton are featured this month on the “Heart of San Diego,” the Fred Lewis-hosted television show that airs in prime time on ITV. The full schedule is on Page 21. *** “It saves you money. It saves you time. It saves you stress,” says Dana Korey, proprietor of Away With Clutter in Del Mar, when asked why a busy person should organize the workspace better. She’s been organizing other people’s desks and files for 15 years. ***
*** Five communities — Sorrento Mesa (92121), Rancho Bernardo (92127), Carlsbad (92008 and 92009), Poway (92064) and Torrey Pines (92037 and 92121) — are home to 43 percent of the region’s technology and biotech companies, reports the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. The data was collected from more than 283 firms representing 35,833 employees. *** Biotech employment in early 2001 dipped 11 percent to 26,740, down from the record 30,121 of a year earlier, reports Alexander X Inc., a San Diego-based publisher of technology directories. The dip, however, appears to have been an aberration. A new Alexandar directory shows the region being home to 461 biotech companies, up 13 percent from 408 a year earlier. *** Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc., one of San Diego’s leading biotechs, is expanding into 29,141 square feet of wet lab space within the new Wateridge Summit project in Sorrento Mesa. The 10-year, $10 million lease gains ATS occupancy of the site in March. Headquartered on North Torrey Pines Road, the company develops and manufactures human-based tissues and organs for repair and transplantation. The owner and developer of Wateridge is Multi-Tech Properties Inc. Eric Northbrook, Chad Urie and Brian Driscoll of Colliers International are the project’s exclusive leasing reps. David Cantwell and Scott Granger of Julien J. Studley Inc. represented Advanced Tissue in this lease. *** The Corky McMillin Cos. and Brookfield Homes have closed escrow on a 184-acre portion of the 403-acre Robertson Ranch in Carlsbad. Now mostly used for vegetable and flower farming, the ranch is surrounded by existing and future residential neighborhoods. Calavera Hills, being developed by McMillin and Brookfield, is located immediately north. McMillin is now developing a specific plan for the entire ranch. *** The San Diego Building Industry Association has formed a strategic alliance with its counterpart in commercial construction, the National Association of Industrial Properties. In addition, Mike Neal, who runs H.G. Fenton, one of San Diego’s largest commercial construction companies, will reign as BIA president in 2002. ***
*** Intergulf, the developer of the Treo@Kettner condominiums, has affixed 14 panels on its construction barricade painted by sixth graders at neighboring Harborside School. “They’re beautiful,” says CCDC’s Camille Ohlson. ***
*** Ramona, the fastest growing unincorporated area in San Diego, has its first locally headquartered bank since 1911. Headed by Roy Lewis, Ramona National Bank opened its doors Dec. 18. The bank was created after 700,000 shares at $10 each were sold between May 30 and Nov. 23. More than 150 local investors participated in the $7 million offering. The founding board includes 11 San Diego business leaders, with John Farkash, president of Farkash Construction Inc. of Rancho Santa Fe, as chairman. *** From its 1984 roots in a small shack in El Cajon, Nealelectric Inc. grew into one of San Diego’s largest electrical contracting companies, handling projects as large and complicated as the San Diego Convention Center and Nokia. In 1999, the company founded by Tom Neal and Cas Wesoloski was acquired by Bracknell, a Minneapolis-based firm that specialized in infrastructure services for networks and systems. As Bracknell (Nasdaq: BRKC) ran into a bit of trouble with lenders — all of its directors resigned Nov. 1 — Neal maneuvered to buy itself back. Partnering with the investment firm Whitney & Co., Neal’s management team closed the deal late last month for an unspecified price. “Our team is thrilled that we have returned to local ownership and local control,” says Tom Neal. The first action of Neal and Wesoloski was to promote long-time protégé Clark Thompson to CEO. “Our team is a truly first-class group of individuals that are excited about re-focusing all of their energies on providing superior customer service and technical expertise,” says Neal, of the 300-employee, Poway-headquartered firm. *** A salary increase for the mayor and councilmembers is being considered for the fiscal years 2003 and 2004. Public hearings by the Salary Setting Commission will be Jan. 8 and 15 at 4 p.m. in the Civic Center Plaza Building, 1200 Third Ave., Ste. 300, Downtown. *** San Diego political candidate Greg Stein is using Kintera Inc. to run his Web site that includes an online fund-raising component. Typically Kintera works with charities like the Multiple Sclerosis Society to develop money-collection sites. A self-proclaimed technophile, Stein is running in the Republican race for the 75th Assembly District, an area that encompasses Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, La Jolla and Sorrento Valley. “The Internet will provide the competitive advantage to my campaign,” says the 32-year-old Stein, who was the interim director of research policy at UCSD and also served as district director for former Rep. Brian Bilbray. “Online fundraising and communication is far more efficient and effective than direct mail and phone solicitations alone. With the Internet, I can better position issues and spread the word to my constituents. And grassroots efforts via e-mail and my Web site are growing. Supporters send my ‘Stein Report’ to their friends and family, who then pass it along to others, which is helping my campaign quickly gain momentum.” To see how Stein hopes all this will work, click on www.gregstein.kintera.org. ***
*** Talk about topical. The Jan. 10 breakfast presented by the San Diego World Trade Center will focus on economic and business challenges in Jordan, Israel, West Bank Gaza, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Moderated by Bob Kittle, editor of the San Diego Union Tribune’s editorial page, panelists include Thomas A. Nassif, former U.S. ambassador to Morocco and CEO of Aequitas International Consulting; Chuck Taylor, a consultant to the U.S. Department of State; and Tim DeMarco, international sales manager with Solar Turbines. Admission to the breakfast at the University Club is $30 for SDWTC members; $45 for those not. For more information, call (619) 615-0868. *** The Legally Speaking column in November should have stated that under the city of San Diego’s campaign ordinance, contributions to committees that make independent expenditures in candidate races are capped at $250 per donor, a limitation not barred by the U.S. Supreme Court. San Diego’s ordinance does not limit contributions to independent expenditure committees advocating for or against ballot measures. San Diego Metropolitan regrets the error. *** The San Diego Workforce Partnership, with support from industry councils, chambers of commerce and economic development councils, will provide the opportunity for a hands-on working session on Jan. 29, during Workforce Summit 2002, at the San Diego Convention Center. The event will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. with interactive, breakout sessions. Business, education, government and other key leaders will examine the results of Workforce Summit 2000, and apply this knowledge to create new strategies that address regional workforce issues. Recent industry studies identified key areas that require an ongoing collaborative effort between business and education to ensure a pipeline of workers with the skills business requires. The need to develop career ladders and “move up” strategies that include continuous learning is now critical for the region’s economy. For more information, call (888) 884-7397 or visit our Web site www.SanDiegoAtWork.com. *** A Downtown historic landmark, the former G.I. Joe Army Surplus at 555 Market St., is about to become one of the Gaslamp Quarter’s largest restaurants. Momo Sushi and Seafood will open next month following a $2 million redevelopment by entrepreneur Frank Baik. The two-level, 15,000-square-foot eatery is being designed by Tony and Tina Koch of Design Perspectives in Mira Mesa. The four-story building is number 78 on the Historic Landmark Registry. It was built in 1908 to house the Alan John Clothing Factory. In 1910, George Hazard and Elwyn Gould opened a hardware store on the first floor. Later Krasne’s Leather Goods and Guns used the space until the surplus store took over. *** Iron Mountain, an international full-service provider of records and information management services, will locate its second county site at Siempre Viva Business Park, 661 Kerns St., on Otay Mesa. The move-in should occur in April. Lusardi Construction Co. is building the 187,625-square-foot structure. Iron Mountain was represented by Steve Rosetta of Cushman and Wakefield. Murphy Development was represented by Hack Adams, director of marketing. *** Connect 2.0, a UCSD-based resource for high-tech and life science companies, has partnered with Fleishman Hillard for public relations counsel on strategic, corporate, financial and product-related matters. A key goal is to build a national identity for Connect. *** San Diego Art + Sol, a cooperative marketing promotion of the area’s cultural activity now in its second year, is the first program of its kind nationally. The publication has created a partnership between 15 of the region’s leading arts and cultural organizations. Returns from a distributed survey revealed that cultural tourists traditionally stay 4.7 nights per visit and have a median annual income of $74,200. ***
*** JMI Realty has broken ground on Casoleil, a $46 million, 346-unit luxury multifamily community in the Otay Mesa area of South San Diego. The 15-acre project is next to the Ocean View Hills Master Plan area being developed by Pardee Construction Co. The rental housing will feature five floor plans, the majority with two bedrooms. It will include 641 parking spaces and attached and detached garages, recreation areas and a meeting/event room. Wermers Corp. is the general contractor. Leasing will begin in April. *** Newly added to the Campanile Foundation board at San Diego State University are: Dee Coffman, Qualcomm board; Thomas E. Darcy, SAIC; Ronald H. Kendrick, Union Bank of Southern California; Bob White, California Strategies; and SDSU student Malerie McNeill. The foundation is the philanthropic vehicle for obtaining and managing private gifts to the university. It set a 2000-2001 record of $42.1 million, representing an 89 percent increase over the previous year’s contributions. *** Starbucks Corp. has signed a 10-year, $498,974 lease for 1,207 square feet in Marina Plaza, 101 Market St., Downtown. Burnham Real Estate Services * ONCOR International’s Bill Shrader represented the lessor. Nancy Johnston of Epsteen & Associates represented the lessee. The location will open in May. *** Copley Symphony Hall is hosting performances by two Russian dance troupes. On Jan. 19 at 2 and 8 p.m., The Belorussian National Dance Ensemble Khoroshky, a company of 65 complete with a full folk orchestra, presents its Big Concert Program in two acts. Then in March The Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet, a company of 125 with a complete symphony orchestra, performs a full-stage production of “Romeo and Juliet” at 8 p.m. March 30 and the full production of “Cinderella” at 8 p.m. March 31. Tickets are priced at $30 to $50. They can be purchased at the Copley Symphony Hall box office or by contacting Ticketmaster. *** Set for Jan. 23-27, the Creative Problem Solving Institute’s Winterfest 2002 is expected to attract more than 200 senior executives and entrepreneurs to the event at the Red Lion Hanalei Hotel. The process used in the workshops was developed by Sid Parnes, a creativity guru and long-time San Diego resident. “Everyone is creative but not everyone knows how to tap into the invaluable and powerful resource that is their own creativity,” says Parnes. “At CPSI we challenge people to suspend their need to judge so they can comprehend the full value, scope and possibility inherent in all situations and events.” For more, click on www.cef-cpsi.org. ***
*** It’s not too early to get a ticket package for the 2002 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship at La Costa Resort and Spa Feb. 20-24. A weekly package is $100 and includes admission to two practice rounds in addition to the five regular days. The top 64 golfers from Official World Golf Ranking competing will include Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie, David Duval and Phil Mickelson. Only 7,500 weekly packages will be available. For information, call (877) WGC-TIXS (942-8497). ***
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The Naval Air Depot at Naval Air Station, North Island and Carlsbad-based Kisco Retirement Communities will both be recognized in April with California Award for Performance Excellence honors. The awards are designed to emulate the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Pacific Coast Foam has provided the custom interior architectural shapes and accents for the new Mootime Creamery at La Jolla Village Square. Decorative foam accents adorning the restaurant, which serves hundreds of specialty ice cream flavors and coffee drinks, include a neon clock sign pediment, giant coffee cup and ice cream quart prop displays, oversized molding and a red canopy over table booths.
During the topping out ceremony for Parkloft in East Village, Doug Wilson gestures to where the stalled ballpark project sits and jokes, “I may have been overly aggressive.” Indeed Wilson’s will be the first ballpark-related development to hit the market when his spare-no-expense $150 million, 300-unit red-brick loft mid-rise opens this fall. But he’s not exactly sweating the current state of stall in the nation’s largest redevelopment project. “When you spend $1 billion to $2 billion in three to five years, my instincts are things are going to change,” he says, referring to plans by the city, Padres and other developers. Peter Davis, CCDC’s chairman, got a plaque from Wilson that featured a home plate. Davis, who is waiting with other developers for the ballpark to resume construction, says, “it makes me think we took Doug off our news release list.” The topping out ended with a big bucket of cement, containing the names of the construction crew and streaming 13-foot red ribbons, being hoisted by crane to the project’s roof. As the bucket rose, a snippet of Pink Floyd played, loudly, from the P.A. system. “All in all it was just another brick in the wall.”Home | Info | Cover Story | About Us | Back Issues | Search
