Janice Weinrick becomes head of the Olson Co.’s community development division for San Diego County on Jan. 30.

Janice Weinrick is leaving her executive job with the Centre City Development Corp. to take a private industry position Jan. 30 in University Towne Centre. But she’ll be back.

Weinrick has been vice president of real estate operations for CCDC for the past 13 years but decided to join the private sector, where her career started, to head up the Olson Co.’s community development division for San Diego County. Olson, a home builder headquartered in Seal Beach, is planning to move its San Diego operations to Downtown early this year. The company has built projects in 60 cities in California, including Village Walk in Little Italy and City Walk in Marina.

“An opportunity was presented to me by a developer who shares the same commitment and passion for public/private partnerships that I do,” says Weinrick. “I thought this would be an exciting chance to go back into the private sector. I love Downtown. I’m going to stay engaged in Downtown activities.”

The Olson Co. has been recognized in the housing industry for its track record in the completion of successful public/private partnerships with cities. The trade publication Professional Builder named it “Builder of the Year” in 2000 for its work with cities in providing housing.

Weinrick is a second generation native San Diegan. She graduated from San Diego State University and worked for a general contractor and a housing developer before taking a job with the county of San Diego and later with the city of La Mesa. She was La Mesa’s redevelopment director for 13 years.

For CCDC, Weinrick has been involved in overseeing developer negotiations and working on affordable housing and planning issues. She was most recently involved in the implentation of development impact fees to provide financing for future Downtown parks and fire stations.

“CCDC has been a fantastic place to be for the past 13 years and I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished Downtown,” says Weinrick. “But I was presented with a great new opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”

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Skandia Construction Services Inc. paid Financial 21 Community Credit Union $9 million for its two-story, 10,000-square-foot headquarters building so it could tear it down. The credit union building at 440 Beech St. is part of a city block Skandia is redeveloping into a residential and commercial complex that will include an $80 million 23-story high-rise.

The acquisition doesn’t threaten Financial 21’s 26-year history in Downtown. As part of the deal, the credit union will occupy the first three floors of the high-rise. The remainder of the building will contain 184 residential condominiums ranging from 1,400 square feet to 4,000 square feet. Gene Roberts, president and CEO of Financial 21, says his headquarters staff will be housed in temporary quarters during construction. The credit union’s new space will contain 19,000 square feet. The company employs 62 people in five offices: Downtown, Vista, Kearny Mesa, El Cajon and Chula Vista.

Skandia’s redevelopment project is bounded by Cedar and Beech streets and Fourth and Fifth avenues. The first phase now under way is the conversion of the eight-story Solara Lofts at Fourth and Cedar into 77 residential condominiums. Construction of the 23-story high-rise, called the Solara Tower, is part of the second phase, which will begin at the end of this year. The entire project is slated for completion in mid-2008.

Craig Gustafson, president of Skandia, calls the project the “Solara Block.” The high-rise condos, he says, will range from the low $300,000s for one-bedroom units to the high $800,000s for two-bedroom units with dens. There will be 19 to 22 penthouse units of three-plus bedrooms, not yet priced. Amenities in the high rise will include a health club and spa, a racquetball court, locker rooms with private saunas and a day spa.

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MB Urban Properties LLC has purchased a 24,898-square-foot parcel at 1459 G St. in East Village for $5.3 million. It is the last parcel to be assembled by the company for a 273-unit residential condominium complex that will include 35,000 square feet of ground floor retail. The project, called the 15th and Market Promenade, will include a 24-story tower and a nine-story structure. The 61,800-square-foot development site is bounded by Market, 15th and G streets. Mr. and Mrs. Paul McNett sold the property in a transaction brokered by Victor Krebs of Colliers International.

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DR Horton Western Pacific Housing purchased the 15,000-square-foot parcel at the northeast corner of 15th and J streets for $3.1 million. It is the last in the 60,000-square-foot city block bordered by Island Avenue, 15th, 16th and J streets to be acquired by the developer for a mixed use project. The parcel was sold by the Bernice Hansen estate. Victor Krebs of Colliers International represented the buyer. A 10-story, 240-unit condominium complex with 23,521 square feet of ground floor commercial is planned.

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