Daily Business Report-Dec. 3, 2013
The renovation of La Plaza (rendering above) is scheduled for completion in February 2014.
La Jolla’s La Plaza Undergoing Renovation
Dempsey Construction is handling the complete interior and exterior renovation of La Plaza, a three-story, 33,626-square-foot luxury boutique shopping center under construction at 7863 Girard Ave. in downtown La Jolla. Dempsey is overseeing a demolition and construction program due to some of the logistical challenges with improving a three-story building, fully improved to the lot line boundaries, with no off-street parking.
The project improvement work will include a complete exterior renovation featuring the installation of plaster and pre-cast concrete features, a new glass window system throughout the building, decorative rustic guardrails, new pavers and tiles, as well as hand-painted accent tiles installed throughout. A key architectural feature will be an elevator/clock tower constructed on the Girard Street side of the building. Proposed completion is set for February 2014. San Diego-based Davlyn Investments is the project owner, acquiring the property at auction in November 2012.
The project team includes architect Alan Pullman of Long Beach-based Perkowitz and Ruth, local architectural firm Alcorn & Benton, Stafford Interior Design, , Unique Stone Imports and Jim Rinehart of CBRE.
Two Mission Valley Office Buildings Sold for $9.9 Million
Two three-story office buildings in Mission Valley have been sold for $9.9 million to Gregg Seaman of Viewpoint Equities. The seller was Holualoa Companies. The buildings are at 2635 and 2535 Camino del Rio South. The former measures 39,000 square feet and the other, 50,000 square feet. Colliers International was the broker, and will be handling leasing. Viewpoint Equities will be making renovations to the two buildings.
Supervisors Break Ground on 10-Story Parking Garage in Little Italy
The county Board of Supervisors broke ground Monday on a 10-level parking garage in Little Italy that will have potential for future retail and residential development. Construction is expected to cost $24.3 million and is being financed by general obligation bonds. The structure at Cedar Street and Kettner Boulevard will provide 645 parking spaces on the 10 stories. Three stories will be below ground. Parking will be provided for county workers at the County Administration Center during the day. On nights and weekends, paid public parking will be available.
Board Chairman Greg Cox said there is land on Beech Street for a residential tower and space along Kettner Boulevard for retail and residential uses.
The vision for the Waterfront Park at the County Administration Center led to the creation of the new garage. While visitors to the county building can use its new underground parking, employees needed a place close by to park. And the Little Italy structure allows the neighborhood to accommodate more visitors as well.
“One of the immediate benefits of this project is it will lead to the cleanup of more than 40 years of contamination from underground storage tanks and heavy metals that leached into the ground,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
Excavation will begin in January and the slab will be completed in June 2014. The garage is expected to open in June 2015.
New Registrar of Voters Office Opens Today
San Diego County will open its new Registrar of Voters Office this afternoon. The 118,500-square-foot building is in the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa, down the road from the old location at Ruffin Road and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. County officials hope the $73 million-project will result in a building that provides a modern, efficient headquarters for voter services and election night ballot counting.
The building also features public art, including a display of memorabilia and historical artifacts from the Registrar’s office. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Public tours are also scheduled.
— City News Service
Most Innovative New Product Awards Coming Friday
Connect is hosting its 26th annual Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards luncheon Friday at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Hotel Grand Ballroom,10950 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. This year’s awards will be emceed by Maureen Cavanaugh of Midday Edition on KPBS, and will recognize innovative new products developed in the last year in nine categories: Aerospace and Security Technologies; Communications and IT; Hardware and General Technology; Life Sciences—Diagnostics and Research Tools’ Life Sciences—Medical Products, Mobile Apps, Software, Sport and Active Lifestyle; and Technologies and Sustainability.
Connect also will name the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Contribution Award for Life Sciences and Technology Innovation.
The finalist showcase will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The luncheon is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $200 for Connect members, $225 for the general public. For more, visit www.connect.org.
Residential Real Estate Conference Dec. 12
The University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate will host its 14th annual Residential Real Estate Conference Thursday, Dec. 12, on USD’s campus. Stan Humphries, chief economist of Zillow Inc. ( www.zillow.com/san-diego-ca), will be the keynote speaker and will address, “Housing Recovery, Southern California Style: Is It Too Much, Too Fast?”
Following Humphries’ presentation, a panel of local and regional real estate experts will discuss the state of the industry and offer forecasts for the region’s residential real estate market in 2014. Panelists include: Stephen Doyle, president of Sandy Point Properties; Nathan Moeder, principal of The London Group Realty Advisors; John Olinski, executive vice president of OneWest Bank. The discussion will be moderated by George Chamberlin, executive editor of The Daily Transcript. The event will also feature a Q&A session, fielded by Alan Nevin, director of economic and market research of Xpera Group.
Registration for the event, which includes breakfast, costs $65 for an individual or $550for 10 reserved seats. To register, go to http://bmc.kintera.org/outlook2014.
How Small Business Can Land Contracts for Airport Work
The San Diego County Airport Authority will host a special event Thursday to help local, small and historically underrepresented businesses better prepare to win contracts for work at San Diego International Airport. Construction is moving forward on a new Rental Car Center and general aviation complex on the north side of the airport, and these projects will create more than $470 million in contracts. The event will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, 404 Euclid Ave., San Diego. For more informationm, visit www.san.org/northsidebusiness.
Workshop Scheduled for California Competes Tax Credit Program
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) will conduct a public workshop Dec. 17 on the proposed draft regulations for the California Competes Tax Credit program, an income tax credit available to businesses that want to relocate or stay and grow in California. At the workshop, GO-Biz will provide an overview of the enacting legislation, discuss the proposed draft regulations and get feedback. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the San Diego City College Corporate Education Center, 1551 C St., in Downtown San Diego.
Marcus & Millichap Names Sales Manager
Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services has named Brenton J. Baskin sales manager of its San Diego office. Baskin began his
career with Marcus & Millichap in March 2008 under the firm’s sales intern program and became an agent in the Newport Beach office in March 2009. His product specialty was retail investments and he was a member of Marcus & Millichap’s National Retail Group. Baskin was promoted to senior associate in December 2012. Prior to joining Marcus & Millichap, Baskin was an associate at a boutique real estate firm in Orange County. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.
Patricia Trauth Takes Office as President of Landscape Architects Chapter
Patricia Trauth, the principal landscape architect at URS Corp., is the new president of the San Diego chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects for the coming year. Tim Smith, president of Wynn-Smith Landscape Architecture, will serve as president-elect. Trauth provides landscape architectural services for the Southern California region for URS Corp. She joined the company in 2008. She has a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona.
Other officers include: Joy Lyndes, Coastal Sage Landscape Architecture, treasurer; Todd M. Schechinger, Schmidt Design Group, secretary; Timothy F. Jachlewski Jr., In-Site Landscape Architecture Inc., past-president; Jon. S. Wreschinsky, Land Design Collaborative, California Council of ASLA; Mark Steyaert Jr., Landscape Architect, chapter trustee; and Tracy Morgan Hollingworth, executive director.
