Daily Business Report-Oct. 28, 2014
Rendering of the new rental car center at Lindbergh Field that is expected to greatly reduce traffic on Harbor Drive and the number of shuttle buses circulating at the airport.
New Rental Car Center to be Built at Lindbergh Field
Officials expect it to greatly reduce traffic on Harbor Drive
Lindbergh Field is going to get a rental car center that will house several rental car companies — including major national brands as well as local, independent and small business rental car companies. Housing the rental car companies in a single building is expected to reduce traffic on Harbor Drive and the number of shuttle buses circulating at the airport.
A formal groundbreaking ceremony for the center will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday with Robert Gleason, chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, county Supervisor Greg Cox, Interim Mayor Todd Gloria, Steve Kitching, regional manager of California, Austin Commercial, and Jon Wald, executive vice president of Sundt Construction Inc.
Construction of the rental car center is among a series of improvements the Airport Authority has approved for the airport’s north side. That includes a Receiving and Distribution Center that was completed in 2012, which helps reduce traffic by centralizing all truck deliveries. Officials said the center has reduced truck trips on Harbor Drive by 50 to 75 per day.
Also planned for the north side is a fixed-base-operator complex by Landmark Aviation that will incorporate a 20,000-square-foot terminal, five hangars and a 250,000-square-foot ramp on 12.4 acres.
Big Changes Afoot in City Planning
The San Diego City Council today will consider a major reorganization of San Diego’s municipal bureaucracy, and the urban star brought to town by the last mayor is at the center of the proposed revamp. “The item facing the council would re-establish planning as a standalone department, completing what’s been a foregone conclusion since Bob Filner hired big-deal urban planner Bill Fulton this summer while also remaking the city’s overall bureaucratic structure,” Voice of San Diego’s Andrew Keatts reports. The VOSD story explains what the changes will mean.
Petco Plans Mayor Expansion into Mexico and Latin America
San Diego-based Petco has opened its first store in Mexico in a joint venture with Grupo Gigante of Mexico and plans to open as many as 50 more stores in Mexico and Latin America by 2020. The pet specialty retailer opened the store in Guadalajara on Friday. Another store is planned for Mexico City. “For nearly 50 years, Petco has been a leader in providing pet lovers with the products, services and advice they need to help their pets live happy, healthy lives, and we’re excited to begin serving pet parents in Mexico and Latin America,” said Petco Chief Executive Officer Jim Myers. Grupo Gigante is one of the largest publicly traded companies in Mexico and conducts business in a variety of areas, including office supplies, restaurants, software, business management and home and fashion stores. It Employs more than 19,000 people.
Community College District’s North City Campus to Open
Grand opening is scheduled for Wednesday for the North City Campus, a new, two-story, 42,000-square-foot facility on Aero Drive in San Diego — a construction bond project of the San Diego Community College District. The facility is designated as the Campus of Excellence for Business and Information Technology for San Diego Continuing Education. It will provide state‐of‐the‐art technology in all classrooms and computer labs, expansive multipurpose areas, and numerous student gathering areas. The facility was designed by Joseph Wong Design Associates. Construction manager was Barnhart Balfour Beatty. Construction of a two-story parking structure was completed in 2012 as the first phase of the project. A ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the site, 8355 Aero Drive.
DataQuick Expands Information Services
DataQuick, a real estate information service based in San Diego, said it has enhanced its National Property Database — one of the most comprehensive resources of property data in the nation — to provide lenders, servicers, investors, government agencies and data resellers with more information to drive business. The database has more than 125 million property records and more than 267 million transaction records, the company said.
DataQuick said enhancements include expanded coverage of Notice of Default, Notice of Trustee Sale and lis pendens (notice of pending action) filings from 156 U.S. counties to 872 counties. “The addition expands the ability to track key distressed property activity and trends that are still having significant impact on property valuations in most U.S. markets,” the company said.
New York Company to Open 10-Screen Theater in Chula Vista
New York-based Rouse Properties Inc., owner and operator of regional enclosed malls, has entered into a lease agreement with AMC Theatres to open a 35,000-square-foot, 10-screen theater at Chula Vista Center in Chula Vista. The new theater is scheduled to open in summer 2014. The center underwent an extensive renovation in 2012 that ilcuded upgrades to the common areas and addition of an outdoor fireplace, seating areas and a children’s play area.
Scripps Translational Science Institute Receives
$29 Million Grant for Innovative Research
The Scripps Translational Science Institute has been given a renewed grant of $29 million over the next five years by the National Institutes of Health to support innovative research in genomics, wireless technology and bioinformatics toward individualizing medicine. STSI, a collaborative program between Scripps Health and Scripps Research Institute in partnership with the San Diego Supercomputer Center, was among 15 research centers to receive grant renewals last week. The institute is led by Eric Topol, who is the chief academic officer of Scripps Health and a professor of genomics at The Scripps Research Institute. “We are well positioned to have an important impact on making individualized medicine a reality,” said Topol.
Among the projects undertaken by STSI during the past five years is the Wellderly Study, which has enrolled more than 1,350 people who are 80 years of age or older in a scientific search for the genetic secrets of healthy, long lives. The whole-genome sequences of 1,000 of the study’s participants will serve as a reference data base for other research into late-onset diseases linked to inherited genes.
New Biomarkers in Rheumatoid Arthritis
San Diego-Based INOVA Diagnostics and Hasselt University in Belgium announced a license agreement and research collaboration for technology developed at the university for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. VIB, the Flemish life sciences research institute, assisted the university in patenting the rheumatod arthritis markers and in license negotiations. “Delaying diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis can impact the quality of life of affected patients. New biomarkers can aid in achieving better outcomes based on appropriate treatment at an earlier stage of this disabling disease,” said Michael Mahler, vice president of research and development at INOVA. Initial studies by Hasselt University showed that these biomarkers hold great promise for improved diagnosis, said Mahler.
Pathway Genomics Receives NYC Approval for Genetic Test
Pathway Genomics Corp. of San Diego, a clinical laboratory offering genetic testing services, said it has received a permit from New York State health officials authorizing health care providers in the state to offer their patients its Pathway Fit diet, metabolism and exercise genetic test. Pathway Fit analyzes genes associated with food metabolism and exercise response, and it provides recommendations to help people maintain a healthy weight – and lose unhealthy weight – by tailoring their diet and exercise plans to their genetics. “Obtaining a New York State Clinical Laboratory Permit is an exciting benchmark in Pathway’s growth and a testament to the quality, reliability and accuracy of Pathway’s services,” said David Becker, the company’s chief scientific officer.
Illumina to Acquire NextBio
San Diego-based Illumina Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Santa Clara-based NextBio, a leader in clinical and genomic informatics. “NextBio’s powerful big-data platforms aggregate and analyze large quantities of phenotypic and genomic data for research and clinical applications,” Illumina officials said in a release. “With the addition of NextBio’s platform, Illumina will be able to offer customers enterprise level bioinformatics solutions that accelerate the discovery of new associations between the human genome and disease,” said Jay Flatley, president and CEO of Illumina.
Exhibitions
Real Pirates!
“Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship” will open at the San Diego Natural History Museum on Feb. 8, 2014, and will be on display for the next seven months. The exhibition explores early 18th-century piracy with more than 200 artifacts recovered from the ocean floor. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Jan. 2, with Museum members having the option to pre-purchase in December.
Real Pirates tells the true story of the Whydah — a real pirate ship that sank off the coast of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago — and showcases treasure chests of coins and gold, jewelry, weaponry such as cannons, pistols, and knives and a replica of the actual ship that visitors can board.
