Daily Business Report-March 7, 2014

The proposed makeover of Anthony’s Fish Grotto features expansive glass to enhance the views provided to diners. The elevated roof lines provide opportunities for natural light, and the dock offers patrons arriving by boat the chance to dock and dine.  Architect David Robinson of Robinson Brown created the plan.

One of San Diego’s Oldest Seafood Restaurants

Planning a Complete Makeover at the Waterfront

Anthony’s Fish Grotto, San Diego’s oldest family-owned and operated seafood restaurant company — it opened its doors on the waterfront in 1946 — is planning a complete makeover of its North Embarcadero properties. The flagship operation on the waterfront houses Anthony’s Fish Grotto, Anthony’s Fishette and Anthony’s Star of the Sea Event Center.

A rendering of concepts for an interior and exterior remodel for the Harbor Drive location was presented to the Port of San Diego Real Estate Division and a new executive sous chef has begun work on updating the menus for all three locations, according to the company.

The architecture firm of Robinson Brown was retained with firm principal David Robinson designing the North Embarcadero restaurant rendering. In tandem with this makeover, Anthony’s Fish Grotto hired Chef Jay (Timothy) Payne Jr., formerly the executive chef of Café Japengo in La Jolla.

“Chef Jay is already experimenting with new flavors and combinations that complement Mama Ghio’s original recipes and we’re having a lot of fun tasting Jay’s creations and drink pairings,” said Craig Ghio, co-owner and third generation family member. “One of Chef Jay’s most important projects is designing a new concept restaurant in the former Star of the Sea space. This new concept, 1360 Harbor, will feature artisanal seafood small plates, boutique wines and local hand crafted beers.”

The new design for the Harbor Drive location will feature open architecture to blend with the Port’s North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. Patrons will have wide, unobstructed views of San Diego Bay. The rebranding initiatives also include green energy initiatives and waterfront dining events, seafood and wine pairings and more.

Ghio said the rebranding will carry over to Anthony’s La Mesa location, where enhanced interiors, greater utilization of its private lake and evolved menu will be featured.

County’s January Unemployment Rate Increased

Nonfarm jobs were down by 16,400 over the month, but up 28,300 jobs over the year

The unemployment rate in the San Diego County was 7.0 percent in January, up from a revised 6.5 percent in December 2013, and below the year-ago estimate of 8.5 percent, the state Employment Development Department reported today. That compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 8.5 percent for California and 7.0 percent for the nation during the same period.

(Note: the state agency will report February job figures on March 21).

Between December 2013 and January 2014:

Total nonfarm employment declined from 1,331,600 to 1,315,200, a loss of 16,400 jobs. Agricultural employment gained by 100 jobs, or 1.1 percent.

• Trade, transportation, and utilities reported the greatest month-over decline, down 9,300 jobs. A seasonal decline in retail trade (down 8,700) accounted for more than 90 percent of the job losses in this sector. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities declined by 1,000 jobs, while wholesale trade added 400 jobs offsetting the overall employment decline in this sector.

• Five other sectors also posted month-over job losses: educational and health services (down 4,000); government (down 2,600); leisure and hospitality (down 2,400); financial activities (down 1,200); and information (down 500).

• Four nonfarm sectors added jobs over the month. The most notable job growth came from professional and business services (up 2,400). Professional, scientific, and technical services (up 2,400) contributed to all of the job growth in this industry.

Between January 2013 and January 2014:

Total nonfarm employment increased by 28,300 jobs, or 2.2 percent. Agricultural employment gained 400 jobs, or 4.6 percent.

• Construction posted the greatest year-over gain, adding 6,500 jobs. Specialty trade contractors (up 3,700) accounted for more than half of the employment growth in this sector, primarily from building equipment contractors (up 1,900). Construction of buildings gained 1,700 jobs, followed by an increase of 1,100 jobs in heavy and civil engineering construction.

• Seven other nonfarm sectors also added jobs over the year: professional and business services (up 6,100); leisure and hospitality (up 6,100); government (2,800); educational and health services (up 2,600); trade, transportation, and utilities (up 2,400); other services (up 2,000); and manufacturing (up 700).

• Two sectors recorded year-over job losses: information (down 600) and financial activities (down 300).

 

Renovation of Storm and Nasatir Halls

 Complex at San Diego State Completed

C.W. Driver has completed construction on the newly renovated Storm and Nasatir Halls complex at San Diego State University. The project includes the 100,000-square-foot renovation and 30,000-square-foot expansion of the existing complex built in 1957. Designed by LPA Inc., the $73 million complex now offers program space with upgraded technologies for eight academic departments, faculty offices, and academic and research laboratories.

City Clerk Receives Petitions for June Council Elections

A handful of prospective candidates for San Diego City Council seats delivered their nominating petitions to the City Clerk’s Office on Thursday, the final day to file the documents, City News Service reports. The city requires interested candidates to bring in valid signatures from 100 people registered to vote in their district. Those with enough verified names will qualify for the June 3 primary election for even-numbered council seats.

The list of candidates who have filed so far include three running for reelection — David Alvarez, Myrtle Cole and Lorie Zapf.

Alvarez, who lost the mayoral runoff election last month to Kevin Faulconer, will try for a second term in District 8, which includes Barrio Logan and South Bay neighborhoods. The only other candidates to file petitions for the district race are Valley Coleman III, a retired ironworker, and Lincoln Pickard, a retired contractor.

Cole, who won her seat in a special election last May, will run for a full term in District 4 in southeast San Diego. Her opponents, if they qualify, would be Lemon Grove School District trustee Blanca Lopez Brown and real estate agent Tony Villafranca.

Zapf represents District 6 currently but will seek the District 2 seat vacated by Faulconer. When City Council maps were redrawn a couple of years ago, her residence fell into his beach and bay district. Federal prosecutor Sarah Boot and Mark Schwartz, a marketer of organic fertilizers, have filed to challenge her.

Candidates so far for Zapf’s current seat are San Diego County Taxpayers Association Vice President Chris Cate, special education assistant Jane Glasson, education consultant Carol Kim, community and veterans activist De Le, and ex-San Diego Unified School District Trustee Mitz Lee.

UC to Increase Student Exchanges and

Research Ties With Mexican Universities

The University of California system is launching an initiative to increase student exchanges and research ties with Mexican universities, UC president Janet Napolitano said Thursday. The former head of U.S. Department of Homeland Security spoke at a symposium dedicated to U.S.-Mexico relations on the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Napolitano had a mixed record as the head of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013. It was a time of record-breaking deportations, mostly of Mexican citizens. But she also helped craft an administrative rule that offers relief from deportation for some Mexican children who grew up here, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Now, in her role as president of the UC system, Napolitano has pledged $5 million in financial aid and special counseling for undocumented students.

Napolitano said these measures — and immigration reform — are key to harnessing the potential of the North American workforce. The UC president said she hopes the U.S., Mexico and Canada will present themselves to the world as a unified region in the future, “where the manufacturing and supply chain is distributed among the three countries, and where there’s a full panoply of student exchange, research exchange, dialogue, collaboration.”

— Reported by KPBS

San Diegan Appointed to State Board

Karen Roberts, 52, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists by Gov. Brown. Roberts has been senior structural engineer at the California Department of General Services, Division of the State Architect since 1999. She was project engineer and special inspection department manager at Biggs Cardosa Associates from 1990 to 1999 and a staff engineer at Mesiti-Miller Engineering from 1989 to 1990. Roberts was a junior engineer at Biggs Cardosa Associates and at Creegan and D’Angelo Consulting Engineers from 1983 to 1986. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Roberts is registered without party preference.