Daily Business Report — Jan. 28, 2010

Two Prominent S.D. Architecture Firms Announce Merger

Two of San Diego’s major architectural firms —  Carrier Johnson + CULTURE and Fehlman LaBarre — are merging. The firms have produced such hallmark projects at USD’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, the Donald P. Shively Center for Science and Technology, student housing at UCSD, the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the Diamond Terrace project in Downtown San Diego. The firms said the merger “coalesces a diversity of experience in sustainable design by incorporating distinct aspects of complex problem-solving skills in order to formulate unique and responsible solutions.”

The newly shaped Carrier Johnson + CULTURE will continue to merge the relationship between structures and public space, weaving the cultural experience into urban planning, principals of the companies said.

“The future of modern cities such as San Diego centers on architectural creativity, art and social expression,” said Gordon Carrier, design principal of Carrier Johnson + CULTURE.  “At a time when scarcity of resources and changing lifestyles are spawning a reinvestment in the urban core, our focus remains on a genuine approach to creating design which supports each client’s unique brand characteristics, thereby developing projects that further differentiate the client in a competitive global marketplace.”

“Over the years, Fehlman LaBarre has had the opportunity to design a wide-variety of complex projects throughout the western United States,” said Michael LaBarre. “The scope of our design and planning experiences embraces modern, environmentally-responsible and urban-oriented communities that promote the use of existing public transportation.”

Fehlman LaBarre has designed sustainable, mixed-use projects such as the Uptown District, which was developed in the early ‘90s by Oliver McMillan. Other notable projects include Fenton Marketplace, Veteran Village of San Diego and the revitalization of Hazard Center in Mission Valley.

County Foreclosure Notices Increase From 4th Quarter 2008

The number of San Diego County homes entering the foreclosure process in the fourth quarter of 2009 totaled 6,536 or an increase of 17.9 percent from the same period of 2008, according to a report by MDA DataQuick of San Diego. For all of Southern California, notices of default numbered 84,568 for the October-to-December period, up by 12.4 percent from 75,230 recorded in the fourth quarter of 2008.

On primary mortgages, California homeowners were a median five months behind on their payments when the lender filed the notice of default. The borrowers owed a median $13,510 on a median $325,818 mortgage. On home equity loans and lines of credit in default, borrowers owed a median $3,939 on a median $62,965 credit line. However the amount of the credit line that was actually in use cannot be determined from public records.

Although 84,568 default notices were filed last quarter in Southern California counties, they involved 82,777 homes because some borrowers were in default on multiple loans (e.g. a primary mortgage and a line of credit). Multiple default recordings on the same home are trending down, DataQuick reported. Mortgages were least likely to go into default in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties. The probability was highest in Merced, Stanislaus and Riverside counties.

A New Affordable Housing Project Opens

Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. and the city of San Diego celebrate the opening today of Parkside, a new affordable housing communiy in Downtown’s East Village. The 77-unit rental project shares its parcel of land with the recently rebuilt East Village Community Church. Wakeland purchased the land for Parkside from the church. With that money, the church tore down its existing facility and built a new one using the same architects as Parkside. With the sale complete between Wakeland and the church, the Centre City Development Corp., working on behalf of the city Redevelopment Agency, was able to help fund Parkside with roughly $13.8 million and fulfill one of its missions to provide more affordable housing units Downtown. No public funds were used build the church.

The units at Parkside consist of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts to accommodate the needs of working professionals, seniors and families.  According to CCDC, only 10 percent of total Downtown affordable housing units (including Parkside) are available in sizes large enough for families. Parkside provides homes for individuals and families that earn 50 percent to 60 percent of Area Median Income.  Rents at Parkside range from $647 to $1,107 per month, depending on level of income. The project is designed to receive LEED Silver designation.

Other major funders for Parkside include Wells Fargo Bank, Red Capital Group, San Diego Housing Authority and California Community Reinvestment Corp.  Wakeland’s development partners for Parkside included Harper Construction, Benson & Bohl Architects and green consultant Global Green USA.

Help for Contractors Seeking Government Business

Contractors seeking to do business with the San Diego Unified School District or any government agency where project labor agreements are used are invited to attend a Feb. 9 meeting sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction and the American Society of Professional Estimators. Labor and construction issues will be discussed for school district projects by guest speaker Dennis J. Stryker, partner in Stryker Slev Law Group, and George Harris III, contract compliance manager for facilities planning and construction for the school district. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego.  Member cost is $35; nonmembers pay $40. RSVP by Feb. 5 to kneumann@nealelectric.com.

Topic: ‘The Power of Mobile Marketing’

The San Diego Advertising Club will present “The Power of Mobile Marketing,” a Friday (Jan. 9) morning seminar on successful, integrated mobile marketing campaigns and low-cost execution strategies, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the DoubleTree Club Hotel, 1515 Hotel Circle South, in Mission Valley. The public is invited to attend. The speaker will be Dan Flanegan, founder of Brand Anywhere, a mobile marketing consultancy that advises brands and agencies. Flanegan also will discuss the state of the mobile marketing and advertising industry, the 10 things to do to build your mobile expertise and how to executive a mobile test-and-learn campaign in less than 30 days for under $2,000. Flanegan is currently an entrepreneur in residence at the UCSD Connect Springboard program and is a co-chair of the Marketing Special Interest Group of CommNexus. Cost to attend is $35 for Ad Club members and $45 for nonmembers with reservations. For reservations, visit sandiegoadclub.com or phone (619) 255-2281.

Bobbie Hoder Honored as a Carlsbad Citizen of the Year

Bobbie Hoder, one of the founding members of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, has been named one of three Carlsbad residents honored as Carlsbad Citizens of the Year for 2009. The award is for individuals who have volunteered for many years with theater and arts groups as well as other nonprofit causes in the Carlsbad community. Hoder, a Carlsbad resident since 1965, worked for the city for 36 years before retiring and launching a new full-time career as a community volunteer. She served as president of the Carlsbad Community Theater for 17 years and remains on the group’s advisory board. She also serves as president of the board of directors of Hospice of the North Coast and is involved with a number of other community groups such as New Village Arts, ArtSplash, Playreaders, and was a long-time member of the Performing Arts Theater of the Handicapped board. “Bobbie has given countless hours of  her time to help make Carlsbad a better place to live. We are proud to call her, as well as our other 2009 honorees, Jim and Pat Hansen, friends and neighbors and applaud their selection as Citizens of the Year,” said Carlsbad Mayor Claude “Bud” Lewis.

UCSD Extension Names Director of Healthcare Leadership

Health care advocate Leslie Bruce has joined UCSD Extension as director of health care leadership and community outreach. Bruce has more than 25 years of experience in San Diego area business. She has directed advocacy, communications and community relations efforts for UCSD Health Sciences, Sharp HealthCare, the American Heart Association and MJE Marketing Services. Bruce has directed the health care leadership program at UCSD Extension for the past five years. She developed a new week-long immersion class to take place in Washington, D.C., in late April 2010.  She also facilitates the new health care information technology program, recently launched by UCSD Extension, to help experienced health care or IT professionals quickly move to the emerging professions in electronic medical record implementation. Bruce is a graduate of the USD School of Law and earned her bachelor’s degree at Southern Methodist University.

Colliers International Names a Vice President

Joe Crotty has joined Colliers International as a vice president, focusing on the leasing and sales of industrial properties within North San Diego County. Prior to joining Colliers’ San Diego office, Crotty was a partner at Coldwell Banker Commercial North County Properties. Prior to his real estate career, Crotty was a division sales manager for Sony Pictures Entertainment. Crotty graduated from University of California Riverside.

San Diego East County Chamber Gives Annual Awards

Eight individuals and seven businesses will be honored at the 98th annual Inaugural Gala hosted by the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce and presented by Barona Resort & Casino. The event takes place Feb. 26 at Barona Resort & Casino. Award recients:

Ambassador of the Year: Awarded to David Moran, for his “can do” attitude and consistently friendly service he’s provided the chamber in his role as ambassador for the chamber.

George Felix Award: Awarded to Ernie Ewin from the Grossmont College Foundation for his many philanthropic endeavors within the community of La Mesa.

The Stoney Stone Award: Awarded to Lauri Riley, the immediate past president of Stoney’s Kids, a nonprofit created to serve underprivileged children.

Outstanding Chamber Service: Awarded to Renae Arabo, serving in her second year as the vice chair of events for the San Diego East County Chamber.

Wendell Cutting Ethics Award: Given to Phil Justo, president of ASI Heating and Air in San Diego, for maintaining high ethics throughout his lengthy business career.

Jim Schmidt Business Advocate Award: Presented to Deanna Weeks, CEO of the East County Economic Development Corp., for her vision and leadership in advocating for business interests countywide.

C. Allen Paul Award: Given to Steve Devan, president and CEO of Grossmont Schools Federal Credit Union in La Mesa, and Marcel Becker, president of JCI Metals in Lemon Grove.

Fashion Careers College Hosts Project Fashions Program

Fashion Careers College is hosting its seventh official Project Fashion event on Saturday (Jan. 30) to award scholarships to hopeful fashion students. Contestants will be challenged to create a “mood” board along with sketches that represent a current fashion trend.  Contestants will base their project on their current knowledge of fashion trends, A brief trend presentation given by Tanya McAnear, fashion expert and owner of Bad Madge Productions, and sketching demonstration given by San Diego based designer and FCC instructor Jose Maria Ybarra. One winning contestant will be awarded a full one-year scholarship to the college valued at $20,425. Second, third and fourth place scholarships will also be awarded at the event. All contestants will receive a $1,000 scholarship for their participation in the contest. Jesus Estrada, FCC graduate and Project Runway season seven contestant, will be a guest speaker. Interested persons may enter the event by contacting the admissions department at the college at (619) 275-4700.

Federal Contract Awards

(Source: Targeted News Service)

• Cubic Defense Applications Inc. San Diego, won a $1,444,460 federal contract from the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command, Philadelphia, for receiver-transmitters and other replacement parts.

• Sience Applications International Corp., San Diego, won a $321,600 federal contract from the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for the maintenance, repair and rebuilding of equipment.

• Viasat Inc., Carlsbad, won a $138,072 federal contract from the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command, Mechanicsburg, Pa., for radio frequency switches.

Ocean Robots to Monitor Oil Spills

To develop control systems for “swarms” of miniature robotic ocean explorers that could one day help predict where ocean currents will carry oil spills, engineers at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering won a nearly $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The engineers are leading the development of the control systems for swarms of small, inexpensive, underwater robotic ocean drifters that researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCSD are designing, building and deploying.

The autonomous underwater explorers will trace the fine details of fundamental oceanographic mechanisms that can be used to determine underwater ocean currents on the order of a few kilometers — currents that are often poorly characterized despite their importance for understanding marine protected areas, algal blooms, oil spills, and the path sewage takes after it is pumped into the ocean.

“Maybe there has been an oil spill in the ocean and we want to establish very quickly how and where the spill might move. We are developing the algorithms that will keep a swarm of autonomous underwater explorers (AUEs) coordinated so they can follow the flow of the ocean currents and give us data on the spill as it is moving around,” explained Jorge Cortes, a professor

and the principal investigator on the grant.

In addition to predicting where oil will travel, scientists can use this information on the flow of ocean currents in order to improve their models—and ultimately their understanding — of how ocean currents operate on the scale of kilometers and what this means for ocean life and for determining where marine protected areas should be established.

Business Datebook

Jan. 29

CONFERENCE: The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate’s 14th annual Real Estate Conference will feature real estate icon Sam Zell. Panels will discuss “The Shape of Things to Come: Capital Markets” and “The Shape of Things to Come: REITS, Retail, Development and Loan Workouts.” 7:30 a.m. to noon, Hilton San Diego Bayfront. To register, visit sandiego.edu/bmcevent. For more information, call Diane Gustafson at (619) 260-2379.

Feb. 3

ANNUAL DINNER: The 139th annual dinner of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, 5-8 p.m., Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, 500 Hotel Circle North, Grand Exhibit Hall. $150 individual registration. Highlights include induction of the 2010 chairman of the board, Tom Wornham of Wells Fargo, and the board of directors, and presentations of the Spirit of San Diego, Courageous Leadership and Regional Unity awards. For more information, call Katie at (619) 544-1370.

Feb. 4

FORUM: San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will discuss past, present and future city government reforms that will shape the region in NAIOP San Diego’s fourth annual Breakfast with the Mayor program. (Rescheduled from Jan. 19). Marriott San Diego/Del Mar, 11966 El Camino Real, San Diego. Registration at 7:30 a.m., program runs from 8 to 9:15 a.m. $40 for members, $60 for nonmembers. Attendees may pay online at naiopsd.org. NAOP San Diego is a chapter of the Real Estate Development Association. For more information, call Karen Burgess at (858) 509-4110.

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING: Corey Rosen, executive director and founder of the National Center for Employee Ownership, is the featured presenter at a program sponsored by the Beyster Institute at UCSD’s Rady School of Management. 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Free. Registration required; visit rady.ucsd.edu/beyster/events.

Feb. 5

MEET THE LEADERS: Vista Chamber of Commerce host reception and dinner featuring talks by Congressman Darrell Issa, Assemblyman Martin Garrick and county Supervisor Bill Horn. 6:30 to 9:15 p.m., Shadowridge Country Club, 1980 Gateway Drive, Vista. Tickets are $125 per person. Contact the Vista Chamber of Commerce at (760) 726-1122.

Feb. 10

PANEL: The San Diego Press Club presents a panel talk on “WriterPalooza: 50 Tips in 50 Minutesw to Boost Your Writing Business,” aimed at professional and aspiring writers and editors. 6 p.m. at KGTV/10, 4600 Air Way, San Diego. Panelists: Dennis Morgigno, Channel 4 San Diego; Kimberly Edwards, formerly of KGTV/10; Lee Swanson, former broadcaster; and Jan Rieger, McLane Rieger Communications. Free for Press Club members, $10 for nonmembers. RSVP to: sdpressclub@cox.net.

SHOWCASE: CleanTECH San Diego and the US Renewables Group present the CleanTECH Showcase, which explores opportunities in the wind-power industry. Keynote presentation by Jim McDermott, managing partner, US Renewables. Registration 4 p.m., keynote 6 p.m., panel 6:40 p.m. La Jolla Marriott. $10 for students, $30 for CleanTECH members, $45 for others. RSVP at: http://ctsd.eventbrite.com.

Feb. 16

CELEBRATION: The Asian Business Association of San Diego holds its 16th annual Lunar New Year Celebration featuring Lucky Lion Dancers, a casino night with prizes and Chinese cuisine. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., dinner from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., no-host bar, Fat City Steakhouse/China Camp Restaurant, 2137 Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego. Cost: before Feb. 16, $30 to ABA members, $35 for nonmembers; at the door, $40 members and nonmembers. Register online at abasd.org. For more information, call (858) 277-2822.

Feb. 18

ROUNDTABLE: Hal Varian, chief economist at Google, will speak on “Predicting the Present with Google Trends” at the Economics Roundtable, 7:30 a.m., UCSD Faculty Club. Admission is $50 per person, includes continental breakfast and parking. For more information and registration, call (858) 822-0510.

Feb. 24

DIGITAL FORUM: A forum on social media marketing will feature social media strategist and coach Jason Baer, who will lead a panel discussion on the topic. Sponsored by LEAD San Diego and Bailey Gardiner. 7:30 a.m., continential breakfast and networking; 8 a.m., presentation by Baer; 8:45 a.m., panel discussion. USD’s Joan B. Kroc Theatre, San Diego. $20 general admission, $15 for LEAD San Diego members. For more information, call (619) 280-5323.

Feb. 27

WORKSHOP: The San Diego chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers sponsors a “Day with Designers,” a public workshop to provide information on practical interior design basics and how to select an interior designer, among other tips. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Art Institute, 7650 Mission Valley Road, San Diego. Advanced tickets available for $35 by visiting ASIDSanDiego.org. Tickets at the door are $45. For more information, call (858) 646-9896.

The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of San Diego Metropolitan magazine and the North Park News. (619) 906-4104.