Daily Business Report — June 2, 2011
Ceremonies Mark Start of Aztec Student Union
The official start of construction of the new Aztec Student Union at San Diego State was celebrated on Wednesday with appearances by President Stephen Weber, Associated Students President Cody Barbo and Geoffrey Chase, dean of undergraduate studies and director of the Center for Regional Sustainability. The groundbreaking was emceed by Jim Herrick, executive director of the Alumni Association. “The new Aztec Student Union was a vision developed by San Diego State students who wanted a place that would instill community and school pride for San Diego State’s 30,000 students,” Weber said. “They wanted a center that is sustainable and responsible to the environment and future generations. And the students voted to make this happen.” Construction fencing is to be put in place on June 6 and demolition of the original Aztec Center is to begin around June 11. The groundbreaking followed 10 years of studies and voting referendums by the students. The Aztec Student Union is designed to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest rating for green buildings. The Aztec Student Union is designed to be the first LEED Platinum student union in the California State University system.
Capstone Advisors Purchases Mission Escondido Shopping Center
Capstone Advisors has purchased the Mission Escondido Shopping Center, a 40,317-square-foot retail complex, for $3.9 million from a subsidiary of Kennedy Wilson Properties. The company plans to give the center a facelift. The center at 201-205 West Mission Ave. has two multi-tenant buildings that were built in 1985. The largest tenant is United Cerebral Palsy, which operates its primary North San Diego County location in a 10,288-square-foot space it has occupied since 2000. There are also four restaurants, an Asian grocery store and a variety of professional offices. Many of the businesses have been operating in the center for seven years or more. Capstone Advisors plans to make $300,000 in capital improvements, including a “green” strategy to enhance the center’s efficiency. Planned upgrades include repainting the exterior, improved pylon and storefront signage, new energy-efficient exterior lighting, landscaping with low volume irrigation, ADA modifications and major parking lot repairs. Capstone will restore vacant spaces to leasable condition and make changes to bring HVAC units up to maximum energy efficiency. The company will also implement a trash recycling program and work with tenants to implement an energy efficiency program to lower their energy costs. Construction of the improvements is expected to begin this month, with completion slated for early fall 2011. In the purchase, Capstone Advisors was represented by Brent Bohlken of Grubb and Ellis and Tony Villaseñor of Sierra West Group. The seller was represented by Edmond Sachse of Kennedy Wilson Properties. Silvergate Bank of La Jolla provided financing.
USD to Honor Alumni
University of San Diego will recognize the accomplishments of nine honorees at its 16th annual Alumni Honors celebration on Saturday. Tres Conrique, founder and president of Rancho Santa Fe Technology, will receive the Author E. Hughes Award for Career Achievement from the School of Business Administration. San Diego trial attorney Virginia C. Nelson, who has been chosen by her peers as one of the Top 10 Southern California Super-Lawyers, will receive the Hughes award from the School of Law. The other Hughes honorees for career achievement are Cynthia D. Flores, campus director at the Coachella Valley Campus of Brandman University; Marilyn T. Macondald, associate professor of nursing at Dalhousie University in Novia Scotia; and Sara M. Story, founder and president of New York City-based Sara Story Design.
Emilie I. Hersh, CEO of Carlsbad-based InterKnowlogy LLC, will receive the Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award for exemplary service to the university. Monsignor Mark A. Campbell, pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church in Old Town, will receive the Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Award for contributions to humanitarian causes. Kevin Turner, a human rights officer with the United Nations, will receive the USD Alumni Emerging Leader Award. Hank Egan, USD men’s basketball coach from 1984 to 1994, whose 1986-87 team holds USD’s best single-season record of 24-6, will be inducted into the Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame. The celebration begins at 6 p.m. in USD’s Shiley Theatre followed by dinner. Tickets are $100. For ticket information, visit sandiego.edu/alumni/honors or call (619) 260-4819.
Architectural School Prof to Deliver Lecture
Dak Kopec, a professor at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design, will lead a June 14 seminar on “Classrooms for Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents” at the 43rd annual NeoCon, a design conference and expo. It will be at 1 p.m. at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. Kopec’s seminar is part of the conference’s institutional design education track. Kopec developed his seminar based on his experience of working with a school in Northern California to develop designs for classroom facilities that would act as a training center for future teachers, licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists, as well as provide research on educational strategies for youth who are emotionally disturbed. The project was funded by NSAD’s Faculty Development Grant Program, which is designed to support faculty members’ improved teaching, professional advancement, and creative or scholarly activities.
Cassidy Turley Firm Selected for Property Management
Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial has been selected as the exclusive leasing, marketing and property management firm for three projects in San Marcos and Carlsbad totaling 272,946 square feet. The projects are the Darwin Technology Center, Santa Fe Business Center and Los Vallecitos Business Center. Darwin Technology Center is located at 5937-5939 Darwin Court in Carlsbad and contains a total of 70,456 square feet of industrial, flex and office product. Santa Fe Business Center is located at 175 Bosstick Road and 2910, 2920 and 2930 Norman Strasse Road in San Marcos. The property consists of 51,082 square feet of industrial and manufacturing space. Suites are available from 780 square feet and up. Los Vallecitos Business Center is located at 800, 810, 830 Los Vallecitos Blvd. and 125, 135 and 145 Vallecitos De Oro in San Marcos. The project features 151,408 square feet of industrial, retail, office and flex product as well as an on-site deli and property management. Suites are available from 631 square feet and up. Mark Avilla, Matty Sundberg and Bob Cowan of Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial are the office leasing specialists. Todd Davis and Karen Fuller, also with Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial, will represent the industrial properties. Paul Klink with Cassidy Turley will oversee property management services.
Robin Madaffer Chairs Urban Land Institute’s Local Council
Robin Munro Madaffer, a partner in the law firm of Schwartz Heidel Sullivan, has been named the new chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Diego/Tijuana District Council. She succeeds Chris Morrow of Project Design Consultants, who served as chair since 2009. Madaffer will serve as chair for a two-year term from 2011 to 2013, beginning on July 1. Previously, she chaired the ULI San Diego/Tijuana District Council Annual Real Estate Trends Conference and served on the programs committee. Madaffer and her husband, Jim, own Mission Publishing Group, which publishes three community newspapers: The Mission Times Courier, The Mission Valley News and the La Mesa Courier. They are residents of Downtown San Diego. The mission of the ULI is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.
Ladeki Group Appoints Vice President of Operations
Mark Augarten, a veteran of more than 30 years in restaurant management and business operations, has joined The Ladeki Restaurant Group as vice president of operations. Augarten will work on the group’s Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza concept and on optimizing business operations. He began his career at Claim Jumper restaurants. He led the operations of 46 Claim Jumper locations in eight states with annual sales exceeding $240 million. Augarten earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from Collins School of Hospitality Management at California Polytechnic State University.
Soitec Selects V.P. of Sales and Business Development
Clark Crawford has been promoted to the position of vice president of sales and business development USA for Soitec. He is responsible for sales, business and project development for Soitec and manages the company’s U.S. headquarters located in La Jolla. He has over 25 years of experience in transforming innovative technology into commercial success. He is responsible for selling and deploying Soitec’s Concentrix Concentrated Photovoltaic technology in the U.S. market. Crawford previously led sales and business development at Amonix Inc. Prior to Amonix, he held positions at Xerox PARC and Idealab. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from USC.
Small Business Workshops
SCORE San Diego continues its series of low-cost workshops. Fees range from $29 to $109, depending on the program. To register online, visit score-sandiego.org. For more information, call (619) 557-7272.
• June 3 – Leasing Strategies – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
• June 7 – Internet Marketing 304 – Cost-Effective Internet Marketing Tools – 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• June 8 – Business Plan 101: How to Develop Your Best Competitive Advantage – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $79, $89 at the door).
• June 9 – Internet Marketing 201 – Build Your Business through Search Engine Optimization – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• June 9 – Financial Statements – What They Mean, How to Use Them – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).
• June 10 – Hiring and Managing Employees – 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• June 11 – Introduction to Starting Your Own Business – 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• June 14 – Business Basics 101 – 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; No charge – please pre-register).
• June 14 – Managing Grants and Contracts – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation in Point Loma (2508 Historic Decatur Road, #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
• June 15 – Internet Marketing 303 – Social Media for Small Businesses – 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• June 17 – Import/Export – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• June 18 – QuickBooks Basic – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• June 18 – Effective Marketing – Identify and Target Your Customers – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of SD METRO, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. Contact: Manny Cruz (619) 287-1865.
