Daily Business Report — Aug. 9, 2010
Design Team Finalists Chosen for Proposed Convention Center Expansion
The San Diego Convention Center Corp. has invited five architectural design teams to submit conceptual designs and fee proposals for the proposed expansion of the San Diego Convention Center. The five were selected from a total of 13 teams that applied. Selection of a finalist is scheduled for Oct. 13.
The five teams invited to submit designs are:
• Gensler, in association with Steven Brubaker.
• Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendoff California Architects in association with Tucker Sadler Architects and Joseph Wong Design Associates.
• LMN in association with Carrier Johnson and Hornberger + Worstell.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP.
• Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates Inc. in association with Martinez + Cutri and Architects hanna gabriel wells.
“We are looking to select a world-class design team to build on this iconic and hugely successful facility that has attracted millions of attendees to San Diego and serves as the foundation of our regional hospitality industry,” said Carol Wallace, SDCCC president and CEO. “As the Mayors Citizen Task Force on the Convention Center Project convened by Mayor Sanders found, an expansion will further our ability to create jobs and economic development throughout the region.”
Assisting in the evaluation of the submitted designs will be several professionals, including C. Boone Hellman, associate vice chancellor for facilities design and construction and campus architect at UCSD; Eric Naslund, design principal and partner at Studio E Architects; Sal Ochoa, senior project architect for the Unified Port District; Tom Sullivan, vice president for the Irvine Co.’s San Diego region. Also assisting will be Wallace; Brad Gessner, general manager of the Convention Center Corp.; Tom Delaney, president of Springline Associates; and Charles Black, president of CB Urban Development.
Contract Awarded for Coastal Wetlands Restoration
Marathon Construction Co. in Lakeside has been awarded a $1.3 million contract by the Board of Port Commissioners to restore 280 acres of coastal wetlands in the southern part of San Diego Bay. The project will include the excavation of about 67,000 cubic yards of material at the Chula Vista Wildlife Reserve to lower the elevation to create additional salt marsh habitat and tidal channels. Invasive plants will be removed. “The creation of additional salt marsh habitat is a goal of the port’s Natural Resources Management Plan,” said David Merk, director of the environmental services department. “Any creation of additional habitat is a fantastic benefit to the bay.” An Environmental Protection Agency grant also will allow the port to begin restoration work at Emory Cove off of the Silver Strand near Coronado. Work on the two areas will begin in September and is expected to be completed by March 2011, prior to next year’s shorebird nesting season.
Presentation Summit Set For Oct. 17-20
Nigel Holmes, former executive art director of Time Magazine and principal of Explanation Graphics, will give the keynote address at the Oct. 17-20 Presentation Summit (formerly called PowerPoint Live) at the Catamaran Resort Hotel on Mission Bay. The event draws members of the Microsoft PowerPoint development team and users of the software. Patrons attend seminars and workshops, where they receive personal, hands-on help throughout the conference. Other speakers will include Nancy Duarte, who created the slides for the Oscar-winning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”; Julie Terberg, a master designer known as the “Makeover Maven”; and Richard Bretschneider, former program manager of Microsoft PowerPoint, among others. Conference details are available online at presentationsummit.com.
Paul Reynolds Named Partner at Solomon Ward Firm
Paul A. Reynolds has been appointed partner at the San Diego law firm of Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith. Reynolds’ practice focuses on securities and business litigation. He is a member of the California State Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, American Inns of Court, Chapter 9, and the Louis M. Welsh Chapter. Reynolds received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in 1991 and his law degree summa cum laude from California Western School of Law in 1995, where he was valedictorian.
Barnhart Balfour Beatty Wins Project of the Year Awards
Barnhart Balfour Beatty has received two Project of the Year Awards from the American Public Works Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties for the $28 million upgrade of Berth Lima at Naval Base Coronado and for the $3.55 million Fire Station 3 in Encinitas. The company received the Environmental Award for the Berth Lima project and a Structures Award for the fire station. The Berth Lima upgrades were completed in March to accommodate planned industrial maintenance activities and cold-iron berthing for the three Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carriers home-ported in San Diego, the USS Nimitz, USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson. The new, two-story fire station is twice the size of the 1970s station that was demolished on the site.
Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites Get High Rating
The Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites, brands of Hilton Worldwide, have received high marks in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index. Hilton Garden Inn achieved the highest ranking in the “Mid-Scale Full Service” category for the eighth time in the past nine years, totaling more awards than any other brand among its category. Homewood Suites was awarded the highest ranking “Extended Stay” brand for the seventh time in the category’s 10-year history. The awards are determined by seven measures in overall satisfaction: reservations; check-in/check-out; guest room; food and beverage; hotel services; hotel facilities; and costs and fees. Matt Seamons is general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn. Ann Marie Kimball is general manager of the Homewood Suites Del Mar. The J.D. Power and Associates study is based on responses from more than 53,000 guests who evaluated 65 different hotel.
Small Business Workshops
Upcoming SCORE San Diego Workshops:
• Aug. 10 – Marketing for Non-Profits – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at San Diego Foundation – Liberty Station (2508 Historic Decatur Rd #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
• Aug. 11 – Business Plan 101: How to Develop Your Best Competitive Advantage – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $79, $89 at the door).
• Aug. 12 – Internet Marketing 301: Pay-Per-Click – 9 a.m. to noon at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• Aug. 13 – Legal Issues for Small Businesses: Organizational Structure – 9 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• Aug. 14 – QuickBooks® Basic – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• Aug. 16 – Customer Service: The Key to Business Success – 9 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. (619) 906-4104.
