Did Firestorm 2003 leave behind any good news? No. Too many lives and structures lost, too much shared misery. The community will long grieve.

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Any financial losses to the community will be short-lived. The infusion of FEMA, insurance and other money to rebuild and refurnish homes will stimulate the local economy, especially the housing industry. “At a point in the cycle where it is expected that the housing market is going to slow down, now there is a certainty new homes will be built,” says one economist.

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While the fires raged, the San Diego Building Industry Association’s executive committee began meeting on how to respond. The first act was establishment of Builders Helping Neighbors, a fund that it seeded with $50,000.

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The BIA also arranged for the National Association of Homebuilders to send to San Diego an expert who had counseled some 60 other communities on disaster recovery. “It will be comforting to be involved with someone who has been down this path before,” says Paul Tryon, the BIA’s CEO.

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Valley Crest Tree Co. of San Fernando used a 40-ton crane to install a 45-foot coast redwood tree at Otay Ranch’s Heritage Towne Center. The tree was found at a residence in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley, where it had grown too close to the home’s foundation. Valley Crest Tree Co. excavated the tree and placed it in a 120-inch box until the installation. Developed by The Otay Ranch Co., the mixed-use center will include 38,000 square feet of retail, community gathering spaces, a child care center, and affordable apartments for seniors.

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How fast new homes can be built is unknown. Government officials are promising zero-fee rebuilding permits, although such an approach is probably unrealistic: planning departments are typically self-funded and it is unlikely cash-strapped county and city officials can find funds to underwrite the employees’ work. Also, good insurance policies will pay related fees. But fairness is an issue. “Theoretically they should not have to pay again for school fees, water connection fees and the like since they already have paid into the system,” Tryon says.

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San Diego, where about 10,000 new homes are built annually, has a sizable home construction industry. But unlike their counterparts in many areas of the country, these firms specialize in building large communities, working in developments like Black Mountain Ranch and Otay Ranch. Many of the new homes will be individual projects. “This is not how San Diego is building homes,” says Tryon. “This is not how local government is set up.” Look for builders to adjust quickly and government to follow.

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The SBA is offering businesses of all sizes loans of up to $1.5•million to repair or replace real estate, equipment and inventory. Small businesses may borrow up to $1.5 million for working capital. FEMA is coordinating. Call (800) 621-3362 for details.

Founders Awards were bestowed on the East Village’s Robert Shapiro and Robert Sinclair at the Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Alonzo Awards on Oct. 30. Carl R. Poirot received the Humanitarian Award for his dedication in promoting human welfare and social reform; Councilman Michael Zucchet received the President’s Award; Greg Shannon the Chairman’s Award for his work on the Community Plan Update; and Mayor Murphy the Distinguished Alonzo Award. Winners of Alonzo Awards — the honor is named after Alonzo Horton, Downtown’s founder — were Doug Manchester for the Manchester Grand Hyatt expansion; San Diego Rep’s Sam Woodhouse and Broadway San Diego’s Joe Kobryner for bringing live theater to Downtown; retired CCDC planning executive Max Schmidt, whose legacy includes a nearly high-rise free Gaslamp Quarter; and Karen McElliott for her Project Heart Beat and its automatic external defibrillation.

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San Elijo Hills, the ocean-view community in coastal North County, will welcome models for nine new neighborhoods within the next four months. Homes range from live/work units in the town square to 1,100-square-foot cottages to luxury homes with more than 4,000 square feet and prices ranging from the $300,000 to the high $600,000. The San Elijo Hills Visitor Center, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is located at 1215 San Elijo Road, San Marcos.

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LG’s Prime Steakhouse is coming to the Gaslamp Quarter. The small chain — it has restaurants in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and La Quinta, will move into OliverMcMillan’s The Lofts project at Sixth Avenue and F Street. Burnham’s Bill Shrader handled the 10-year, $2.6 million lease.

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Lew Breeze, 38, got his real estate license expecting to work the money side of deals. But after a Re/Max office he joined moved Downtown three years ago, he built two Web sites that promote residential — sdcondo.com and sandiegodowntown.info — and a career was born. “I don’t consider myself a sales person, I consider myself a techie,” he says. Breeze is the office’s top producer, representing $20 million in sales this year. Now, in the same year he got engaged, Breeze is striking out on his own. He is buying out two partners and opening a boutique real estate firm called 92101 Residential in the new doma building on Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy. He owns the store and a condo in the project.

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The new board secretary of the Civil Justice Foundation in Washington, D.C., is prominent trial lawyer Frederick Schenk. A senior partner with Casey Gerry Reed & Schenk, he’ll help the organization award grants to grassroots consumer advocacy groups.

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Montgomery & Co., a Santa Monica-based boutique investment bank focused on media, communications, information technology and health care industries, is opening a new office in Del Mar at 853 Camino del Mar. David Michaels has been named managing director.

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BBL-Forum, a member-based organization comprised of qualified Christian CEOs, business owners and company presidents, is expanding into the San Diego market. Membership is restricted to those who run a business with at least $3 million in annual sales. The Orange County group functions much like San Diego-based TEC, which brings together CEOs for business education. In both groups forums are restricted to one executive from a particular business category and one from any one business. The BBL format is comprised of monthly half-day forums to address and discuss business issues and challenges; bi-monthly full-day events with guest speakers, coupled with a forum; monthly individual business counsel with a BBL coach; and yearly retreats for members and spouses. All business issues are approached from a Christian and biblical perspective. The Web site — www.bblforum.com — includes a discussion with Bill Williams, president and longtime executive with Pyxis Systems, a big local tech success that is now a part of Cardinal Health.

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The Shidler Group has purchased for $35 million the Washington Mutual Tower, an 18-story Downtown office building at 707 Broadway. The 186,977-square-foot building includes an adjacent 12-story parking structure. The seller was Chris McKellar’s Somera Capital Management. Major tenants include Washington Mutual Bank, the city of San Diego attorneys’ office, the San Diego Public Library and SC Design Inc. Adam Edwards of Secured Capital Corp. represented the buyer and seller.

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Twenty years ago, on Nov. 22 to be precise, Anna Sandoval was the nervous chairwoman of the Sycuan Band, preparing to announce the first number in the Sycuan Bingo Hall’s first session. Things do change. The bingo hall has evolved into the 233,000-square-foot casino and resort featuring 2,000 slot machines, gaming tables, restaurants and a 54-hole golf course. This month Sycuan is celebrating that anniversary with a $20,000 prize giveaway and entertainment that includes Little Richard, Smokey Robinson and Roy Clark.

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San Diego’s efforts to build a new main library Downtown got a jolt of good news when the state Public Library Construction and Renovation Board late last month allocated $20 million to the $150 million project. Construction will start next year at the Park Boulevard and K Street site and be completed in 2007.

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When Palomar Pomerado Health hit its financial and customer care goals for the year by being $25 million in the black, more than 2,600 of its employees were rewarded with a bonus equal to 1.5 percent of their base pay. Also sharing in a $1 million incentive pool were 52 eligible directors and executives.

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Construction has started on the 51,000-square-foot addition to the Dana Inn & Marina on Mission Bay Drive. Tucker Sadler Noble Castro Architects is providing architectural design services for the $12 million project. Bartell Hotels is the owner and developer, with Richard Bartell, general partner, providing oversight. Sundt Construction is the general contractor. Work finishes in April. Situated on a 2.5-acre site adjacent to the existing facility, the expansion encompasses two three-story buildings housing additional guest rooms that will offer bay views. A new ballroom is being built on the property, in addition to a new lobby lounge, pool and spa. Robert Noble is design principal.

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The Greater San Diego Business Association registered 100 new members in the past nine months and has added an East County business network group to its weekly calendar. A North County network group is in the planning stages. A new member orientation at the Quality Resort drew 75 participants and brought the biggest jump in registrants since May. “It’s one of our biggest spikes in membership,” says Joyce Marieb, executive director of the 9-year-old gay and lesbian business group that now serves 710 members.

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The San Diego Women’s Foundation is seeking applicants for more than $200,000 in competitive grants it will award in 2004. Environmental issues will be the focus of the awards. Since its founding three years ago, the group has granted $389,000 to local nonprofits. Applications go on the Website — sdwomensfoundation.org — in late December or early January.

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The Stillman College Gold Coast Classic returns to San Diego Nov. 15, bringing with it the excitement of black college football and a traditional Battle of the Bands. “It’s more than a football game,” says John Warren, whose wife, Gerri, is president and founder of the Gold Coast Classic. “It’s a family event. It’s an educational event.” Presented by the San Diego African-American Sports Association, the classic has been bringing students west of the Mississippi for the last seven years, providing an experience that crosses both coastal and ethnic lines.

“Many West Coast students gain new options in terms of their response to historically black colleges and universities,” says Gerri, alluding to the lack of historically black college institutions in the West.

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The inventive artisan chocolatiers at Chuao Chocolatier in Encinitas are opening a new store at the Westfield Shoppingtown UTC. The 1,000-square-foot playground for chocolate connoisseurs features Chuao’s handmade bonbons. The expanded store also will introduce a line of gourmet chocolate drinks and confections, suggested wine pairings, and fine European desserts as well as chocolate-inspired books and accessories.

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The Downtown Residential Marketing Alliance’s series of Discover Downtown meetings continues on Nov. 18 with a Diversions Seminar at Hilton Gaslamp Quarter. The session will feature local celebrity Chef Deborah Scott who will present “Downtown — All the Right Ingredients” to new and potential home buyers. Scott will prepare food from different Downtown specialty stores, showing buyers how convenient their new homes will be to the many stores and provide homebuyers with recipes and ideas for dinner parties in their new condos. For information, click on sandiegodowntown.org.

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Guest speaker Rear Adm, (Ret.) Ronne Froman, who has been heading the local Red Cross through the firestorm, will appear at the seventh annual Achievement Awards for College Scientists luncheon on Nov. 12 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. Call Kimberly Miller at (619) 224-8041 for information.

The Junior Achievement San Diego Business Hall of Fame is preparing Nov. 6 to recognize the outstanding contributions of business leaders who have played a major role in the history and growth of San Diego. Keynote speaker Malin Burnham will welcome Junior Achievement 2003 Laureates William D. Jones, Ron L. Fowler, Phil Blair and Mel Katz. The four will be inducted during a dinner at the Hotel del Coronado.

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Sudberry Properties Inc. on Nov. 15 will open the $50 million EastLake Village Marketplace. The 410,000-square-foot retail center sits on 35 acres at the northwest corner of Otay Lakes Road and EastLake Parkway in Chula Vista. Anchor tenants include Lowe’s and Target; the project is 100 percent leased. Colton Sudberry, Sudberry’s v.p. of development, was principal-in-charge for the project. Fehlman LeBarre Architecture & Planning was the architect, with Andy Stevenson as project designer. Sundt Construction was the general contractor, with Greg Loy as project manager and Pete Larsen as onsite superintendent.

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The American Lung Association’s Breath Program has recognized the city of San Diego with the “Platinum Lung” Award for outstanding compliance with the California Smoke-Free Workplace Law. The honor is the highest form of recognition given to California cities or counties that achieve a rate of at least 95 percent compliance in smoke-free bars and all other workplaces.

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The Foundation for the Children of the Californias has set Nov. 9 for its gala celebration to raise funds for the expansion of Hospital Infantil de las Californias in Baja California into a full-service hospital. Grammy award winner Poncho Sanchez headlines the event at the San Diego Marriott Del Mar Hotel. Call (619) 299-4734 for reservations.

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The San Diego Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, is hosting the third quarter California Jaycee Convention Nov. 14 through 16 in Mission Valley at the Doubletree Hotel. The event is billed as an opportunity for young leaders within San Diego to see what other leaders are doing throughout the state. Visit www.sandiegojaycees.com for details.

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Renovation is starting on the Chula Vista Center, a bi-level open-air mall that was one of the San Diego area’s first three regional shopping centers. The result will be a streetscape with shops, places to eat and a new facade. A 65-foot landmark tower with translucent sides that glow at night will be visible for miles. A Victoria’s Secret Beauty, expanded Van’s, a relocated Payless ShoeSource, PacSun and NY & Co. will join the center’s anchors, Macy’s and JCPenney and the center’s original tenant, See’s Candies, one of the top sales producers in the country. New eateries will include a 1,300-square-foot Subway and a 2,423-square-foot Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, both to open next month. The 884,880-square-foot shopping center opened in 1962 and was last remodeled in 1994. Architects Fehlman/LaBarre are reconfiguring the outside of the mall, putting storefronts facing the streets. A desert-like color selection will be accented with blue, orange and purple. Chula Vista Center is owned by General Growth Properties, the nation’s second largest shopping center owner.

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ECP Commercial has started leasing retail space at Transborder Plaza in Otay Mesa. The new development includes fast food and sit down restaurant sites, as well as general retail and automotive space. The five-acre site will be completed early next year.

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The San Diego Youth Symphony opens its season Nov. 9 with a “Celebration of Music Education” concert at Copley Symphony Hall. Tickets for the 4 p.m. performance cost $13-$23 and are available at the door. The entire schedule is at www.sdys.org.

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Up Inc., the residential development division of La Jolla Pacific Development Group, has leased 1,255 square feet of office space at 3739 Sixth Ave., Suite D. from Uptown Ventures. The property will be used as a sales center for Up’s Hillcrest residential projects: Deca, Monde and 301 University. Rancho Pacific Inc. represented both sides in the lease.

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City of San Diego staffers are providing building permit and inspection information to owners of fire-damaged structures at two locations. Scripps Ranch building owners can obtain information at the Scripps Ranch Community Service Center, 11885 Cypress Canyon Road, and Tierrasanta building owners can obtain information at the Ridgehaven Building Inspection Offices, 9601 Ridgehaven Court, Ste. 220. Office hours will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays until further notice.

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North Island Financial Credit Union has opened a branch in Vista at 1960 University Drive.

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A good way to check on a contractor’s license is clicking on www.cslb.ca.gov. The Contractors State License Board also says consumers should never pay more than 10 percent, or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment.

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The county’s Office of Trade and Business Development, in conjunction with the Association of Contingency Planners, will host a free seminar on business disaster planning 9-11 a.m. Nov. 20 at the County Administration Center. Call (858) 495-5494 or visit www.sdcounty.ca.gov for information.

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Santa Claus arrives at Seaport Village Nov. 28 aboard the boat with wheels, The Seal, just in time to hop on Cinderella’s Carriage to parade down the boardwalk to the East Plaza where he will pose for pictures. The traditional tree lighting will occur at sundown. Santa will appear at Seaport Village twice more during the holidays, Dec. 13 and 20 at 9:30 p.m. for breakfast with children at Harbor House. Breakfast cost is $20; space is limited. For reservations, call (619) 235-4014.

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San Diegan Jennifer Coburn’s new novel explores recycling a mate, rather than just dumping him. In “The Wife Of Reilly,” Prudence and Reilly, after 11 years, are ready to end their marriage. The book, to be released in January by Kensington Publishing, is a humorous account of Prudence and three of her friends who search for a new wife for Reilly. Just so you know for sure, the story is not autobiographical, and Coburn remains happily married to William. The concept of ex-recycling, however, may be catching on as evidenced by Web site search results.