With every economic trend consensus needing a contrarian, meet Kelly Cunningham, economist and senior fellow of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. Saying annual job growth hit 17,000 in December and as of February was expanding, the veteran number cruncher declares San Diego in recovery and expects us to outperform the state and nation in the coming year. Before arguing, read his analysis at sandiegoinstitute.com.

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Bridgepoint Education expects to hire 600 new employees this year to fill up the 290,000 square feet of office space it leased in a pair of Sabre Springs office buildings owned by Kilroy Realty Corp. Chris Hobson of Grubb & Ellis|BRE Commercial handled the lease for the company’s — bridgepointeducation.com — new headquarters.

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“When we started, no one knew if large populations of Otay tarplants and maritime succulent scrub could be created,” says Kim Kilkenny, sounding more like a horticulturist than developer. The executive v.p. of The Otay Ranch Co. was commenting on his project’s seven-year habitat restoration plan earning cover story status in Land and Water, a national trade journal. RECON Environmental Inc. figured out how to make this work on the Otay Ranch Nature Preserve.

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The U.S. Labor Department says the cost of living in San Diego was up 2.3 percent in 2007, trailing the 2.8 percent average rise for cities across the nation. Energy prices rose most here, up 4.4 percent. Housing costs were up 2.6 percent in general and 3.5 percent for owners. How can this be? Aren’t San Diego housing-for-sale prices down? Well, yes they are. But the index only tracks what it would cost a homeowner to rent a comparable dwelling. Todd Johnson, an economist with the bureau, says the figure does not take into account equity. So even though your home may have fallen in value, it still would have cost you 3.5 percent more to rent it in 2007 than in 2006. Johnson does offer one caveat: the bureau’s last two requests for funding to improve its housing stock survey were turned down. Still, it does match what other housing experts report. As people are less able to buy a home, the scales tilt in favor of landlords who own homes — or at least those without crazy mortgages — and rent them.

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The median price of a resale condo Downtown was $549,000 for the 30-day period ended Feb. 20, down $8,000 from January and $5,000 from the same period a year earlier, reports Realtor Lew Breeze of sdcondo.com. The number of condos pending sale during the past 30 days was 50, compared to 60 from the same period last year. The number of condos closing sale during the 30 days prior to Feb. 20 was 29, compared to 28 from the same period last year.

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In our annual tracking of San Diego’s Top 25 new home builders, Shea Homes is the leading builder, up from third place in 2006 while former No. 1, Lennar Homes, falls to No. 5. Of course this year 347 sales was good enough for first, compared with 611 in 2006 and 849 in 2005. Also making big gains in the 2007 rankings are William Lyon Homes, Silverstone Communities and K. Hovnanian Homes. The full chart, complete with names and contact information for top local executives, is at the Top 25 Home Developers.

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Friends of Downtown, a small group mostly of women in love with the Centre City, host its annual fundraising breakfast at the Harbor House in Seaport Village, 7:30 to 9 a.m. May 15. You're invited. Proceeds go directly to scholarships for City College students, “who’ve chosen to turn their lives around through education,” says Ruth Allsbrook, an agent with Prudential California Realty’s Neuman Team on Fifth Avenue. Some $10,000 in scholarships have been granted in recent years. Past recipients will speak at the breakfast. E-mail reservations to friendsofdowntown@yahoo.com; details are at friendsofdowntownsd.com.

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Odette Valles, owner of four tasty La Salsa Mexican Grill restaurants in San Diego, is La Salsa Franchisee of the Year. In 1988, she was the first La Salsa franchisee.

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Balboa Park’s Botanical Building will showcase 300 fragrant Easter lilies through April 19.

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Ex-cop-turned-bestselling author Joseph Wambaugh will appear at a March 25 book launch party at 7:30 p.m. at Warwick’s Bookstore in La Jolla for his new book, “Hollywood Crows.”

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Offering Caribbean flavors and a lounge-like evening atmosphere, Mangu opens this month at Fifth and Island in the Gaslamp Quarter. The owner is Cesar Espinal, he of the adjacent Cesar Cigars. The chef is David Santiago and Tommy Finlan, last of the Hard Rock Cafe, is g.m. Prices — $10 for a tapa featuring a half-rack of “Island Ribs” — will be moderate.