Psychologist Ron Amos enjoys his modest 700-square-foot suite on the 12th floor of the Torbati Building. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

Psychologist Ron Amos likes to call himself Downtown’s first shrink. “When I first moved here, I was very surprised to find there was not a single psychologist,” says Amos from his 12th-floor office in the Torbati Building at 625 Broadway. “There are lots of therapists in Hillcrest and Mission Valley, but no one here, even with the burgeoning growth. Maybe my arrival is the surest sign that Downtown is all grown up.”

Amos, 43, spent 18 years of his practice in Escondido before he and his wife, Patricia, a consultant and Web designer, succumbed to the lure of Downtown. They moved into City Walk in the Marina District and, in February, he hung his shingle outside his modest two-room suite in the the former John D. Spreckels Building.

Amos says he researched whether other psychologists have offices Downtown and found none. The San Diego Psychological Association gave him addresses only as close as Hillcrest. He did online Web and directory searches and says psychologists who were listed as being Downtown actually had offices in nearby areas such as Mission Valley.

Amos expects to get a lot of neighborhood clients. “By centrally establishing my office at Broadway and Sixth, people who live or work almost anywhere Downtown can schedule therapy sessions in the middle of their day,” he says. “Since the ‘therapeutic hour’ is actually 45 minutes long, many find they can fit it into their lunch hour. They’ll benefit not only from therapy but from the short walk to and from their office.”

His promise to clients: “Know thyself on thy lunch hour.”

Amos says he also can walk to a client’s Downtown office to conduct therapy sessions.

He walks from home to work each day, an 18-block trek. Good for his health, too.

“We’ve been hitting the restaurants and going out dancing,” says Amos. “We jog around the Embarcadero. One day we just hung out in the lobby of the Emerald. So many things to see.”

A native of Indiana, Amos earned a doctorate in psychology from the Professional School of Psychological Studies in San Diego. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University and has worked at the McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., the psychiatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He also collaborated in psychopharmacological research at McLean, UCSD and the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Diego.

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The $1.2 million expansion of the law offices of Gordon & Rees LLP at 101 W. Broadway has been completed. Johnson & Jennings General Contracting was retained for the work by American Assets, manager of the 20-story high-rise. Jossy+Carrier Design Group was the space planner and interior designer.

The scope of work for Johnson & Jennings included the buildout of an additional 22,827 square feet of offices which augment the firm’s pre-existing space. Features include upgraded carpet, new stone flooring, millwork finishes and new wall finishes.

Carl Haines served as senior project manager for Johnson & Jennings, with Carrie Chambers as project manager. Garry Dickson was senior onsite supervisor, with Mike Kirkendall as supervisor. Subcontractors included Bergelectric, AO Reed & Co., Schmidt Fire, Montbleau & Associates and McBride Door.

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7-Eleven has signed a 10-year lease with Sancor Harborside LLC for 3,368 square feet of retail space in Porta D’Italia, 2003 India St. The company paid $946,408 and is scheduled to move into the space in July. Corinna Gattasso and Bill Shrader of Burnham Real Estate * Oncor International represented 7-Eleven and Sancor Harborside.

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Ace Parking Systems’ offices at 645 Ash St.

Ace Parking Systems has purchased for $2.15 million the Downtown office building that it had been leasing for its employees at 645 Ash St. Company employees occupy about 80 percent of the 14,000-square-foot building but additional space was needed by the company, says Richard Murdock of GVA IPC, who represented Ace and the seller, Ash Street Properties LTD.

Ace Parking will use the majority of the building for the company’s business operations.

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Tenant improvements have been completed for Essel Enterprises LLC’s real estate brokerage office at 225 Broadway. American Assets, owner of the 22-story building, retained Johnson & Jennings General Contracting for the $150,000 project. Matrix Design was the space planner, with Fred Gimmel architect.

The work involved the buildout of new offices with all-glass interior walls, conference rooms and the addition of motorized blinds at the exterior of the building glass. Mike Harrison was project manager for Johnson & Jennings, with Mike Kirkendall as onsite supervisor. Sub-contractors included Interior Special-ties, B&B Acoustics, Zephyr Painting and Resource Floors.

The Downtown Relocations column features news on firms that are abandoning, moving into or expanding in the 92101 ZIP code. Send submissions to Manny Cruz, manny@sandiegometro.com.