Daily Business Report-July 30, 2015
The San Diego Convention Center
San Diego Tourism Authority Reports
Big Year in Booking Convention Center
The San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) said it booked 57 citywide conventions and trade shows at the San Diego Convention Center during the just-concluded fiscal year — resulting in more than 1 million hotel room nights for the destination — the highest amount in a decade for bookings generated within a single year.
The events, which will occur between 2016 and 2033, will generate approximately $30 million in hotel tax revenue and pump $1.9 billion into the region’s economy, according to the SDTA.
In fiscal year 2015, the SDTA citywide sales team booked 1,002,688 hotel room nights. The San Diego Convention Center short-term sales team booked an additional 44,341 hotel room nights, for a total of 1,047,029 convention and trade show-related hotel nights booked. This greatly exceeded both the fiscal year 2014 total of 857,260 nights booked and the fiscal year 2015 goal of 900,000 nights.
“This was a fantastic effort on the part of the Tourism Authority’s convention center sales team,” said SDTA Board of Directors Chairman Scott Hermes. “Even though our convention center has limited space, we are doing everything possible to maximize it, and to generate hotel tax revenue for the city’s general fund, which helps pay for essential city services such as police, fire, street repairs, parks and recreation services.”
“I’m grateful to the San Diego Tourism Authority for its efforts to generate additional business for the San Diego Convention Center,” said Councilman Todd Gloria. “Conventions and trade shows draw visitors and translate into jobs and positive economic impacts for our region.”
Conventions and trade shows are a large part of San Diego’s tourism economy. Last year, citywide conventions attracted more than 780,000 attendees, generating $1.3 billion in economic impact and $20 million in hotel tax revenue, according to the Tourism Authority.
Indian Graves Said at Site of Lagoon Project
Extensive and significant Native American cultural resources, including possible grave sites, exist on a 203-acre site in Carlsbad where a Los Angeles-based developer plans to create a shopping, entertainment and open-space destination, local tribe members say. The property along the south side of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon is at the heart of Caruso Affiliated’s 85/15 Initiative, which would allow the developer to build a roughly 27-acre shopping center similar to The Grove in L.A., surrounded by about 180 acres of protected open space, including Carlsbad’s famed strawberry fields.
In a letter to the city, however, a representative of the Luiseño Band of Mission Indians says the initiative fails to protect what were once the sites of two densely populated Luiseño villages. The Luiseño people lived and worked along the south shore of the lagoon, making tools, preparing food and engaging in ancient ceremonies, said the tribe’s chief legal counselor, Merri Lopez-Keifer. San Diego Union-Tribune
North Park Commercial
Building Sold for $925,000
A vacant commercial building in North Park that once housed the Cabrillo Dental Lab has been sold and the new owner is marketing the space for either a craft brewer operation, a restaurant or office use.
The 2,500-square-foot building is located on 30th Street, between University and Lincoln avenues. It was built in 1947.
The sellers, Chester L. Willis and Janice B. Willis, originally purchased the building in 1993 for $130,000 and utilized the space for their business, Cabrillo Dental Lab.
It was purchased by Paul Sloman and Virginia Sloman for $925,000.
Limor Spilky, senior associate of commercial property investment sales for Location Matters Brokerage Services, represented the sellers in the transaction.
The lease rate for the building is $2.25 per square feet.
The front of the building is shabby, but Paul Sloman said the it will be rehabilitated.
Boise, Idaho Team Wins
HD 4K Mobile Challenge
The San Diego Film Festival announced the winner of its Qualcomm Ultra HD 4K Mobile Challenge — Nathan and Andrew Garcia’s less than two-minute film, “The Watchman,” which follows a lone Watchman who must trek through the elements to deliver a warning after his ship crash lands in the wilderness. The pair are from Boise, Idaho.
Participants of the national competition were tasked with using the then not-yet-released Motorola Droid Turbo Ultra HD 4K smartphone, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 805 processor, to film their entries in the film festival.
Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc. The Motorola Droid Turbo Ultra HD 4K is now available through Verizon.
As the first place winners, the Garcias were awarded $5,000 and their film, “The Watchman,” will be shown at this year’s San Diego Film Festival Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.
“The film speaks for itself,” explained Tonya Mantooth, executive vice president and director of programming for the San Diego Film Festival. “With truly stunning visuals and an original story, Nathan and Andrew’s film captured the essence of our competition and makes us all very excited to see what they create in the future.”
Out of the hundreds of applicants, 15 filmmakers were selected to create their short films using the 4K smartphone. The subject and story line of the films were left to the imagination of the creators, in a maximum four minutes length.
OrderUp Food Delivery App
To Launch in San Diego Aug. 17
Nationwide food delivery app OrderUp will officially enter the San Diego market on Monday, Aug. 17, as OrderUp San Diego — initially serving the communities of Pacific Beach and San Diego State University. Long-term plans are to expand to additional neighborhoods.
OrderUp, acquired by Groupon, allows users on-demand delivery of a variety of cuisine and beverages from local eateries.
OrderUp San Diego is locally owned and operated out of Pacific Beach. In preparation for its San Diego launch, owner Andrew Kootman carried out beta market testing near SDSU, where the app became popular with college students and university employees. The company then expanded its reach to Pacific Beach, partnering with more than 25 additional restaurants.
To date, OrderUp San Diego has delivered more than 30,000 orders, and long-term plans place OrderUp San Diego in additional neighborhoods including North Park, Hillcrest, Downtown San Diego and more.
OrderUp San Diego’s currently partnered restaurants include Backyard Kitchen & Tap, Leilani’s Cafe, Bare Back Grill, Kato Sushi, Miller’s Field, Coconut Thai Bistro, Lil’ Orbits Mini Donuts and more. For a full list of restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, juice bars and more visit www.orderup.com.
Shea Homes to Introduce ‘Serra’ in Vista
Shea Homes on Saturday will unveil Serra, a private gated community comprised of 73 new detached homes located at 2049 East Vista Way in Vista.
Three furnished model homes will showcase architecture that includes Spanish, Cottage and Prairie styling in floor plans that range from 1,757 to 2,022 square feet.
New homes at Serra offer three to four bedrooms, two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half baths and a two-car garage. Prices are expected to range from $430,000 to $490,000.
Shea Homes this year also introduced two other communities — One Channel Island in Encinitas and Everly in El Cajon.
Personnel Announcements
Derek Adams at Torrey Pines Bank
Derek Adams has joined Torrey Pines Bank as vice president, senior relationship manager. Adams will work at the Carlsbad location where he will be responsible for expanding the bank’s market share in Southern California by providing business customers with access to loans, deposit and treasury management services.
Adams has more than12 years of industry experience in the San Diego market and is involved with several nonprofit organizations, including serving as board member and former treasurer of the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe and a member of the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. He graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in finance.
United Way Announces 2 Hires and a Promotion
United Way of San Diego County has hired Valin Brown as senior vice president and chief development officer and Michele Predko as director of marketing and brand strategy. Katie Sawyer has been promoted from senior development executive to director of philanthropy.
Brown, who served as CEO for the Carlsbad Educational Foundation for seven years and previously worked with United Way in Colorado and Tennessee, will lead United Way’s development efforts to support its work tackling social issues impacting children and families in San Diego County. Brown has extensive experience including the City Heights Partnership for Children, as well as United Way’s Project 25 and Earned Income Tax Credit programs.
Predko will lead advertising, communications, digital marketing and brand strategy. A marketing professional with 20 years of experience, she previously worked in new business development for Make-A-Wish America. Predko has also worked with Westfield LLC as well as The Upper Deck Company and Coronado Historical Association.
Sawyer, who has successfully led corporate development efforts and managed the Women’s Leadership Council as United Way’s senior development executive, will work with the organization’s major philanthropic group the Alexis de Tocqueville Society in her new role as director of philanthropy. Prior to joining United Way’s staff, Sawyer served as executive director of Girls on the Run of New Orleans.
Dave Reinker Retiring from SGPA Architecture and Planning
After 40 years with SGPA Architecture and Planning, President Dave Reinker is retiring. Reinker served SGPA as director of the San Francisco office (1981-1988), project principal (1988-1997), and most recently as president for the past 18years (1997-2015).
Reinker managed complex architectural projects across the firm’s portfolio, including education, senior living, retail, mixed-use, office, and civic clients. He has been a speaker and panel member on retail and mixed-use projects for the International Council of Shopping Centers and is a past member of its program committee.
San Diego International Airport appointed SGPA to lead the design team for new construction of Terminal 2 as part of its 1998 Airport Upgrade Project. Reinker acted as principal in charge on Terminal 2, the largest single component of the project. He also led the renovation of the Flower Hill Promenade, located near the Del Mar racetrack and, earlier in his career,
the Bay Area’s Alameda Marina Village project.
San Diego Zoo Begins Transformation
Of 8 Acres for New Africa Rocks Exhibit
The San Diego Zoo broke ground Wednesday on the largest expansion in its 99-year history — the $68 million Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks project that will transform eight acres of the zoo and replace 1930s-era grottos and enclosures with new habitats for African plant and animal species.
When the exhibit opens in 2017, Africa Rocks will entirely transform the area that was previously a steep canyon. Africa Rocks’ gently winding, ADA-accessible pathway will lead guests through different types of African habitats — including a West African forest, acacia woodlands, Ethiopian highlands, kopje gardens and a Madagascar habitat.
More than 4,500 individual donors, including the visionary gift of $11 million from Conrad Prebys, have contributed to the Africa Rocks Campaign. Principal donor Ernest Rady provided a $10 million matching gift challenge in 2013 that resulted in 3,800 individual donors giving more than $20 million toward the exhibit. Other principal donors, Dan and Vi McKinney, gave $5
million for the creation of an African penguin habitat. Additional funds have been generously given by corporations, private foundations and estate gifts.
”We want Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks to showcase Africa, where wildlife and habitat are being threatened like never before,” said Douglas Myers, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Global. “The new area has been designed with some innovative exhibit features that demonstrate San Diego Zoo’s leadership in animal welfare and give us some amazing storytelling opportunities, to help connect people to wildlife.”
Africa Rocks will be a home to mammals, reptiles, birds, and plant life native to Africa. The exhibit will feature a range of primates, including hamadryas and gelada baboons, vervet monkeys, and lemurs. Other mammals in the exhibit will include southern ratel, fossa and an African leopard.
The Zoo is now home to two African penguins, found in the Children’s Zoo — but expect this number to grow when Africa Rocks’ penguin beach opens, and the zoo begins its participation in an international species survival plan for these endangered aquatic birds. There will also be a walk-through aviary with sociable weavers.
Dwarf crocodiles will be among the reptile species in Africa Rocks, which are the smallest of the crocodile species. Other reptiles featured in the exhibit will include Agama lizards and spurred tortoises.
The zoo will also be relocating several old-growth trees, including a ficus and a sausage tree. Other African-native plants in the exhibit will include acacia, aloe, Madagascar ocotillo and
