Daily Business Report-Dec. 1, 2015
The plan is expected to be voted on by the city’s Planning Commission on Thursday and the full City Council on Dec. 15.
Long-Awaited Climate Action Plan
Heading to San Diego City Council
The San Diego City Council Environment Committee voted unanimously on Monday to support the Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon pollution and achieve 100 percent clean energy — and moved it to a vote of the full City Council.
The plan is expected to be voted on by the city’s Planning Commission on Thursday and the full City Council on Dec. 15.
As part of its approval, the committee also moved to accelerate community choice energy — a program to help reach 100 percent clean energy citywide — as well as require an implementation plan with full funding, prioritization of transit investments in overburdened communities, guidelines for community plan updates to be consistent with the climate plan, and creation of a working group to monitor the plan’s implementation.
“Today we took one step closer to making history and adopting a legally-binding climate plan that will bring 100 percent clean energy to 100 percent of San Diegans, secure better transit and facilitate new urban development to protect our quality of life,” said Nicole Capretz, executive director of Climate Action Campaign and primary author of a previous draft of the plan.
If approved, the Climate Action Plan would bind the city by 2035 to the following goals:
• Reduce carbon pollution by 49 percent below 2010 levels
• 100 percent clean energy citywide
• 50 percent of commutes via transit, walking or biking in urban, transit-oriented areas
• 35 percent tree canopy throughout the city
• Zero percent waste
Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, called the committee’s action a “dangerous mistake.”
“We all agree that we should reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but apparently some members of the Environment Committee are not concerned enough about the costs associated with that,” said Sanders in a statement released after the vote. “Rushing into multi-billion dollar decisions, without time to fully study the impacts, places San Diego residents and businesses at risk of overpaying for unknown climate benefits. The business community cares about cost, and so do the hardworking families throughout our city who will be picking up the tab. We only hope the full City Council corrects this Committee’s dangerous mistake.”
The plan is supported by a number of local organizations including the
Environmental Health Coalition, Sullivan Solar Power, The San Diego Community Planners Committee, American Federation of Teachers Local 1931, San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council Environmental Caucus, the Sierra Club, League of Women Voters of San Diego, among others.
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San Diego Miramar College
Opens New Science Building
San Diego Miramar College held grand opening ceremonies on Monday for its $34 million Science Building, the latest facility funded by the San Diego Community College District’s construction bond program.
The new building is connected to the existing Science Building by a second floor bridge. The roof houses a greenhouse, observatory stands, and ports for 12 telescopes, and a telescope storage warehouse. The first floor has two lecture rooms, a storage warehouse, and 30 private faculty offices with several conference, collaboration, and break areas. The second floor houses nine laboratories with over 3,000 square feet of specialty science rooms, technician offices, and supply storage areas.
The Science Building also features an outdoor bio-pond with organic and marine specimens as well as an outdoor demonstration garden with various specimens of Southern California rocks and geological formations.
“Thanks to San Diego taxpayers, Miramar College has a new campus with facilities that compare with our four-year universities,” said Chancellor Constance M. Carroll. “This Science Building is the newest addition, providing a state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment that prepares students for in-demand careers and transfer opportunities.”
The Science Building addition joins the existing 33,500-square-foot Science & Technology facility that has classrooms, labs and academic instructional and support areas for General Science, Micro and Zoology, Chemistry and Physics labs and associated prep areas, as well as general purpose classrooms.
Petco Foundation Gives Five-Year,
$1 Million Grant to Humane Society
City News Service
The Petco Foundation has renewed renewed its support of the San Diego Humane Society with a five-year, $1 million grant.
The money will benefit the Humane Society’s lifesaving programs and help maintain the “Getting to Zero” initiative, which aims to save healthy and treatable pets throughout San Diego County from euthanization.
“Our continued partnership with Petco and the Petco Foundation has yielded many triumphs on behalf of animals in need, but there is still much to be done,” said Gary Weitzman, Humane Society president and CEO. “We’ve made a commitment to provide a second chance to every healthy and treatable animal in San Diego County, and with continued support from the Petco Foundation, we’ll be able to continue to do just that.”
The grant is the third from the foundation, associated with the Petco pet supply store, to be worth $1 million. The most recent came in 2010.
“San Diego has been home to Petco for many years, and we’re proud to continue our commitment to the people and pets in our community,” said Susanne Kogut, foundation executive director.
The announcement comes one week after CVC Capital Partners, based in Luxembourg, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, of Toronto, announced they will acquire Petco for $4.6 billion. It’s current owners are investment and private equity firms based in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
SANDAG: Lots of Economic Benefits
For San Diego County During Holidays
San Diego County residents will spend $5.3 billion in retail and food service expenditures this holiday season, according to projections by SANDAG chief economist Ray Major.
Major broke down national and regional statistics to highlight some of the key factors that will impact San Diego County during the holidays. Other projections:
• $1,600 — average amount each resident will spend on food and retail purchases in December.
• $900 — average amount adults will spend on holiday gifts.
• Nearly 20 percent — expected spending increase by residents in December on retail and food services compared to other months of the year.
Holiday Jobs
• 30,000 — number of seasonal jobs that will be supported by the holiday season in San Diego County.
• $32 million — total salaries to be earned by these seasonal workers during the holidays.
Holiday Travel
• 91 — percentage of visitors who will come to San Diego County by car in December.
• 378,000 — additional cars that will travel to San Diego County in December.
• 104 million — total number of additional miles expected to be logged by car visitors while traveling to the region in December (4,200 trips around the world).
Holiday Tourism
• 1.1 million — number of additional visitors expected in the San Diego region during the month of December (enough to fill Qualcomm Stadium 16 times)
• 730,000 — number of additional visitors (of the 1.1 million mentioned above) who will come from Mexico to shop and visit friends and family in December.
46-Unit Oceanside Townhomes
Property Sells for $8.1 Million
Structure Property Management Group Inc., a Santa Ana- based real estate investment and property management firm, has acquired Garrison West Townhomes, a 46-unit apartment property in Oceanside for $8.1 million.
Built in 1978, the property is located at 445 Garrison St. and is situated on 2.19 acres. It includes 16 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units, and 30 two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom townhome units.
Eric Kramer, managing partner, and his property management company, Structure PMG, are working on a plan to improve the property.
DTZ represented the seller and Marcus & Millichap represented the buyer.
University of San Diego to Hold Inauguration
Ceremonies for New President James Harris
James T. Harris will be formally inaugurated as the University of San Diego’s fourth president at a formal community-wide installation ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
On Wednesday, Harris will participate in the daylong USD in CommUNITY Day of Service event at the Montgomery Middle School Community Garden, 2470 Ulric St., San Diego. From 9 a.m. to noon, Harris will join nearly 100 USD students, employees, alumni and friends as volunteers renovate the school’s garden.
An Inauguration Mass will be held Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Founders Chapel.
Friday’s installation ceremony at the Jenny Craig Pavilion begins with a formal processional that will include delegates from many Catholic colleges and universities as well as representatives from institutions with which Harris has been affiliated. Harris will deliver the presidential address. A reception has been planned for the community immediately following the ceremony.
Harris is USD’s fourth president since the 1972 merger of the San Diego College for Women and the University of San Diego College for Men and School of Law.
RoboUniverse Conference & Expo
Coming to San Diego on Dec. 14-16
Innovations in agriculture, science, drones, health care and other areas will be the subject of sessions at the RoboUniverse Conference & Expo taking place Dec. 14-16 at the San Diego Convention Center. More than 80 international speakers will deliver sessions at the conference.
Launched in New York City in May 2015, RoboUniverse is the first global conference and trade show series dedicated to advancing the Service Robotics industry.
“As the industry’s premier service robotics trade show, RoboUniverse showcases practical robot solutions and innovation trends across industries that improve the way people work, learn, and live,” said Richard Erb, executive director of RoboUniverse.
Keynote speakers for RoboUniverse San Diego will include: Chris Anderson, CEO, 3D Robotics; Charles Bergan, vice president of engineering, Qualcomm Inc.; Cynthia Breazeal, founder and chief scientist, Jibo; Albert P. Pisano, dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering, UC San Diego; Mel Torrie, CEO and founder, Autonomous Solutions Inc.
The EZDrone Crash Course, a series of drone training sessions, will be lead by Sean Daniels, CEO and founder, EZDrone. The sessions will feature active audience involvement and flying instruction using multiple drone types.
Kitchen 4140 Closes for Good; Owner
To Open New Eatery Close to Downtown
Farm-to-table restaurant Kitchen 4140 closed its doors permanently last week after five years of operation. Owner and executive chef Kurt Metzger plans to open another restaurant with farm-to-table concept nearer to Downtown San Diego in 2016.
The new concept’s name and potential locations have already been decided upon, though details remain under wraps at this time.
“It has been a great five years, and I’m lucky to have had such an amazing staff and guests, both of whom were more like family at Kitchen 4140,” said Metzger. “I’m looking forward to what the future will bring and continuing to be an active part of San Diego’s culinary community.”
During its five year run, Kitchen 4140 grew from a small location supplementing Metzger’s catering company, Concept Catering by CK, to a full service restaurant offering lunch, dinner and a popular Sunday brunch. Its organic garden was named one of the top 50 restaurant gardens in the nation by USA Today in 2015.
While running Kitchen 4140, Metzger garnered a string of successes: he took first place at the I Love Poke Festival two years in a row, was named Chef of the Decade at this year’s Flavors of San Diego Culinary Gala presented by the American Liver Foundation, has been invited to cook at international dining destinations.
Leading Economic Indicators Unchanged in October
The USD Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators for San Diego County was unchanged in October. Only two of the components were positive, with the outlook for the national economy up sharply and consumer confidence up modestly. This was enough to offset the four negative components. While local stock prices took a big dip and building permits were down moderately, there were only minor drops in initial claims for unemployment insurance and help wanted advertising.
The unchanged reading in October stopped a stretch where the USD Index had fallen for three consecutive months. That the drop has been stopped at three months is encouraging and could suggest that a slowdown in the local economy in the coming year might be limited.
Personnel Announcements
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Names
Head of Research and Development
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, announced the appointment of Srdjan (Serge) Stankovic, M.D., as executive vice president and head of research and development. Stankovic has more than 20 years of executive level experience in drug development and clinical and medical affairs.
Stankovic most recently served as senior vice president of clinical development and medical affairs at Alkermes plc. from 2013 to 2015. Prior to Alkermes, he held the position of senior vice president and head of global clinical development for Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Stankovic also held executive positions in research and development at Forest Laboratories Inc., Neurogen Corporation, Johnson and Johnson, and UCB.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney
Joins Higgs Fletcher & Mack
Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Maisto has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack as its newest associate. She will assist Higgs’ Jim Eischen on health care and corporate transactional, including structuring, designing and creating compliant private medicine and health care amenity models.
Maisto comes to the firm from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California where she was a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. In this role, she prosecuted complex criminal cases and indicted felony charges, including a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud conspiracy involving multiple defendants. Prior to this, Maisto was a volunteer attorney with the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse for the Office of the Attorney General, State of California Department of Justice.
