Daily Business Report-Dec. 8, 2015
The completed pedestrian sky bridge to the Tijuana airport. Courtesy Cross Border Xpress
Sky Bridge to Tijuana Airport
To Open Wednesday Morning
Times of San Diego
San Diego airline passengers will be able to walk directly to Tijuana International Airport when a unique, 390-foot pedestrian sky bridge opens on Wednesday morning.
The new Cross Border Xpress is a full-service, 24-hour airline terminal in San Diego from which passengers can depart to daily flights from Tijuana to 34 destinations throughout Mexico as well as Tokyo and Shanghai.
It was designed in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection,and normal passport, visa and other border-crossing protocols will be followed.
“This will be a great new option for travel between the U.S. and Mexico,” said Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. “It is unique in the world, and we expect the CBX will be a catalyst for economic growth in our region on both sides of the border.”
Carlos Laviada, an investor in the project, predicted it “will transform the border crossing experience for millions of travelers.”
The terminal is located between the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings off State Route 905 on 2475 Otay Pacific Drive. Secure, fenced short- and long-term parking is available.
Crossing is free during the first week. Afterwards, it will cost $18 each way, with a 20 percent discount for seniors and children aged 3-12. Children 2 and under are free.
____________________________________
Rossen Valkanov Receives Zable Endowed
Chair at Rady School of Management
Rossen Valkanov, professor of finance, has been appointed the inaugural recipient of the Zable Endowed Chair in Management Leadership at the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego.
The Zable Endowed Chair was established from a bequest from Cubic Corporation founder Walter J. Zable and his wife, Betty C. Zable, to support faculty recruitment, teaching, and research activities and to support the creation of new models for management education at the Rady School of Management.
“The appointment of Rossen Valkanov as the inaugural Zable Endowed Chair in Management Leadership reflects his innovative approach to research, his commitment to management education and his contributions to the Rady School and the entire UC San Diego community,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan.
In 2013, the Zables gave $6.05 million in a bequest to UC San Diego. $1 million of the gift established the Zable Endowed Chair in Management at the Rady School. An additional $1 million of the gift established the Zable Endowed Chair in Energy Technologies at the Jacobs School of Engineering. The UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center received $100,000 of the gift. The remainder of the gift, $3.9 million, was allocated by the UC San Diego Foundation at the Chancellor’s request to establish the endowed Zable Scholarship and Fellowship Program for UC San Diego students.
Zable, who died in June 2012 at the age of 97, founded Cubic Corporation in 1951 and served until his death as chief executive, chairman and president.
Scripps Scientists Find Unique
Anti-Diabetes Compound
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have deployed a powerful new drug discovery technique to identify an anti-diabetes compound with a novel mechanism of action.
The finding, which appeared online ahead of print in Nature Communications, may lead to a new type of diabetes treatment. Just as importantly, it demonstrates the potential of the new technique, which enables researchers to quickly find drug candidates that activate cellular receptors in desired ways.
“In principle, we can apply this technique to hundreds of other receptors like the one we targeted in this study to find disease treatments that are more potent and have fewer side effects than existing therapies,” said Patricia McDonald, an assistant professor at TSRI’s Jupiter, Fla. campus and a senior investigaror of the study. McDonald’s laboratory collaborated on the study with the laboratory of Richard A. Lerner, the Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Immunochemistry at TSRI’s La Jolla campus, and with other TSRI groups.
New Social Space Planned for Petco Park
City News Service
The Padres announced Monday a series of changes coming to Petco Park, including the relocation of the “beach” play area away from the center field fence and a renovated Hall of Fame.
The sand play area will be placed along K Street, where children will be safe from incoming home run balls, according to the Padres. It will be replaced by a two-story social space with wood decking and pilings, and 60 seats.
The space, sponsored by beach clothing and accessories store Sun Diego, will have room for around 600 standing fans, according to the team.
“This project will transform the space in right-center field, while preserving the view from the grass seating area in the Park at the Park,” said Padres President and CEO Mike Dee. “Together with Sun Diego, we will create an improved and unique experience for fans in what has previously been an under- utilized area.”
The new Hall of Fame will be located under the left field bleachers on K Street and open in time for the All-Star Game in July. The Padres said more details on the project will be released in the future.
Also, smaller projects that showcase the history of the franchise are underway throughout Petco Park, according to the Padres.
Team officials also announced the installation of 222 new seats, flooring and handrails in the Lexus Home Plate Club; the addition of LED lighting; and new protective netting behind home plate.
Sherri Lightner Elected to Second
Term as President of City Council
City News Service
Sherri Lightner was unanimously re-elected Monday to a second one-year term as president of the San Diego City Council.
Lightner, who represents Carmel Valley, La Jolla and University City, was the only nominee. The council president sets agendas and presides over meetings.
“I’m honored that you all trust and respect my leadership to elect me for a second term,” Lightner said.
“I’m proud to continue my service to all of you in the city of San Diego,” she said. “We have a lot to accomplish in the coming year, and I’m looking forward to working collaboratively with each and every one of you to tackle the challenges ahead.”
Lightner, who will be termed out at the end of next year, also praised each council member individually for their work and help on various issues.
San Diego’s Shipyards Growing
As Navy Pivots to the Pacific
Times of San Diego
With the Navy’s increasing pivot to the Pacific region, San Diego’s shipbuilding and repair industries are poised for growth, adding 2,000 jobs in 2015 alone.
That was among the findings of a report released Monday by the San Diego Military Advisory Council at a press conference outside the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in Barrio Logan.
The report, prepared by economists at Point Loma Nazarene University’s Fermanian Business & Economic Institute, found that the shipbuilding and repair industry employed over 14,000 people in 2015 and paid manufacturing wages averaging $67,000. Another 3,000 jobs were dependent on those shipyard employees, bringing the total payroll from the sector to $1.25 billion.
“The shipbuilding and repair industry is one of San Diego’s most valuable sectors,” said Dr. Lynn Reaser, chief economist at the university. “You find it only in a small number of communities and regions in the country.”
The report noted that the industry “demonstrates the ability of manufacturing to be competitive in California and San Diego” at the time when a state-of-the-art Navy requires highly skilled workers.
By 2020 some 60 percent of the fleet will be based in the Pacific and provide “sizable work for San Diego’s shipyards in terms of modernization, repair and maintenance” for the Navy, the report predicted.
“San Diego’s shipbuilding and repair industry, combined with a complex network of firms in the supply chain, represents a valuable ecosystem for the region’s economy and an asset critical to the nation’s global defense,” the report concluded.
The report’s release drew a number of political, military and business leaders, including Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilman David Alvarez, who represents Barrio Logan.
“This is an industry that we do not take for granted,” Faulconer said, adding that the new, high-paying jobs are “the kind of job growth we want to see.”
“This is where the good jobs are,” Alvarez said, noting that NASSCO and other shipbuilding companies provide jobs for skilled high school graduates who might not find positions in other areas of San Diego’s economy.
