Daily Business Report-Feb. 25, 2016
The Pacifica site is designated for the development of up to 1,500 residential units with 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail, a 250-room hotel and 420,000 square feet of office space.
Port’s Land Swap Clears Way for Pacifica’s
Big Project on the Chula Vista Bayfront
Escrow has closed on a land swap that is part of the ongoing Chula Vista Bayfront project that will include Pacifica’s planned development of a 1,500-unit residential complex along with a 250-room hotel, offices for lease and ground-floor retail.
Pacifica, the California State Lands Commission and the Port of San Diego closed escrow on the land exchange on Feb. 18. The Port exchanged 35 acres located within the Harbor District of the Chula Vista Bayfront, east of the marina for 97 acres, located within the Sweetwater District of the Chula Vista Bayfront.
The land exchange shifts high density residential land uses away from the environmentally sensitive Sweetwater District, which is adjacent to the National Wildlife Refuge and the Living Coast Discovery Center, to the centrally located Harbor District. In addition, part of the 97-acre site will be dedicated to a 400-foot-wide buffer between the RV Park and National Wildlife Refuge.
The land exchange is part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Chula Vista Bayfront, gradually replacing former industrial sites with new development providing a balance of jobs, environmental buffers, housing and recreation.
The Board of Port Commissioners originally approved the land exchange between the Port, Pacifica and the State Lands Commission in February 2010 and the State Lands Commission subsequently approved the land exchange in December 2010. The Pacifica site is designated for the development of up to 1,500 residential units with 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail, a 250-room hotel and 420,000 square feet of office space. The Port site is designated for a park, some commercial development, and an RV park.
The California Coastal Commission approved the full, approximately 535-acre Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan in August 2012. A joint planning effort of the Port, the City of Chula Vista and Pacifica, the project has been in the works for years. The Chula Vista Bayfront Project includes a future convention center, signature park, open space, recreation, and cultural areas.
“The land exchange is an integral component of the Chula Vista Bayfront because it places residential uses where they are most appropriate,” said Ann Moore, who represents Chula Vista on the Board of Port Commissioners. “The future residential project will serve as an economic catalyst for the overall bayfront.”
Future actions on the bayfront project will include negotiations with RIDA Chula Vista LLC on a proposed hotel and convention center on another site within the bayfront.
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OliverMcMillan to Redevelop
Key Corner in Gaslamp Quarter
Developer OliverMcMillan announced plans to transform the former Reading Cinemas theater building at Fifth Avenue and G Street in Downtown San Diego. Reading Cinemas closed is doors on Feb. 1.
“Our vision is to revitalize this active corner perfectly situated in the heart of the Gaslamp,” said Dene Oliver, CEO of OliverMcMillan. “Redeveloping this prime site will provide Downtown more opportunities to engage our local community and tourists alike.
OliverMcMillan’s other work Downtown includes 411 Broadway, Ralph’s Grocery Store, Bucca di Peppo, The Lofts at 665 Sixth Avenue, The Lofts at 677 Seventh Avenue, The Lofts at 707 Tenth Avenue, The Lofts at 777 Sixth Avenue, Aloft on Cortez Hill, Horton 4th Avenue, Balboa Storage ane EV.
Council Approves The Glen at Scripps Ranch
The Glenn at Scripps Ranch, a new 53-acre continuing care retirement community to be located in Scripps Miramar Ranch, has been approved for construction by the San Diego City Council. Expected development cost of the project is $150 million.
Latitude 33, the San Diego-based planning and engineering firm in association with KTGY Architects and KTU+A Landscape Architects, provided land entitlements for the community plan amendment, the vesting tentative map, the conditional use permit and the planned development permit.
“The Glen at Scripps Ranch addresses a housing need that the Scripps Ranch neighborhood and community leaders have expressed is a top priority,” said Latitude 33 Senior Project Manager Melissa Krause. “This project received unanimous support in votes taken by the Scripps Miramar Ranch Planning Group, the San Diego Planning Commission and City Council.”
The project will include a variety of homes, an adjacent health center, dining facilities, beauty salon and barber shop, on-site banking and postal services, putting green, bocca ball courts, pool and spa, a billiards room, fitness center and card rooms, among others.
Construction is set to start this summer, taking about two years to complete. Anticipated opening would be summer 2018.
Illumina to Receive Duane Roth
Renaissance Award on April 21
The San Diego Regional EDC will bestow its Duane Roth Renaissance Award to Illumina Inc. at an April 21 program at SeaWorld. Roth, who died in 2013, was the founder of Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. and chief executive officer of CONNECT.
Illumina has become a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies. Its products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging markets. It has more than 4,800 employees worldwide and hired more than 700 people in San Diego last year.
Teachers Retirement System
Raises Stake in Illumina
The California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in San Diego’s Illumina Inc. by 1.6 percent during the fourth quarterof 2015, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The system owned 267,026 shares of the life sciences company’s stock after buying an additional 4,246 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in Illumina were worth $51,254,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
General Atomics to Acquire Miltec
Corporation from Ducommun Inc.
General Atomics announced that it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Miltec Corporation from Ducommun Incorporated. Based in Huntsville, Ala., Miltec is a provider of military defense and aerospace systems design, development, integration and test services.
Miltec will be a part of the Electromagnetic Systems group of General Atomics.
The addition of Miltec will accelerate General Atomics’ depth of knowledge in key technical areas of hypersonic vehicles, small satellites and related products and programs, according to Scott Forney, president of the company’s EMS Group.
The acquisition provides General Atomics with a greater presence in the city of Huntsville, a key center of U.S. space and defense technology. “The integration of these two highly complementary businesses enables GA to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones, and it highlights GA’s commitment to delivering the most advanced solutions to meet customer needs,” said Forney.
UCSD Trials Seek to Harness
Immune System to Fight Cancer
City News Service
Three clinical trials are underway at the Moores Cancer Center to test a way to harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer, UC San Diego Health Sciences reported.
Scientists in the studies are using modified T cells — white blood cells that are one of the immune system’s primary weapons — to treat three different types of blood cancer that often defy existing therapies.
“Lymphomas and leukemias affect thousands of Americans every year and unfortunately a good number of them die as a direct consequence of the disease progression or toxicity from existing treatments,” said Dr. Januario Castro, a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a blood disease specialist at Moores Cancer Center. “We have made great strides with some blood cancers, notably Hodgkin lymphoma, but others have proved more resistant, with patients exhausting all current standards of care.”
The T cells are removed from a patient and modified to contain a gene that produces a protein on their surface, and then reintroduced into the patient with the hope they can bind to and kill cancer cells, the researchers said.
The studies are targeting non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the rare mantle cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive form of the disease, according to UCSD. The researchers want to see if the concept is effective and safe.
The trials are a collaboration between Santa Monica-based Kite Pharma and multiple testing sites, including UC San Diego medical centers in Hillcrest and La Jolla.
All three trials are recruiting participants, according to UCSD Health.
Roberts to Deliver ‘State of the County’ Address
Ron Roberts, chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, will deliver the “State of the County” address at 6 o’clock tonight in the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.
According to Roberts’ office, he will outline a series of initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of San Diego County youth, showcase technology accomplishments, update real estate development efforts, provide stadium status, champion EV recharging, reveal plans for new exterior LED lighting systems on key county buildings and present to a community hero the fifth annual Chairman’s Award, a specially sculpted reduced-scale replica of the iconic Guardian of the Water.
Port’s Newest Waterfront Restaurant
Offers Homemade Sausages, Local Brews
Burgers, Bait & Beer, a new casual restaurant in Embarcadero Marina Park South, will hold grand opening festivities today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The restaurant with its outdoor patio adds to the public amenities at Embarcadero Marina Park South, located behind the San Diego Convention Center. The park features a public fishing pier, basketball courts, a fitness course and waterfront views.
The menu at Burgers, Bait & Beer features homemade “Monster Dogs” including “The Godzilla,” made with pork sausage, caramelized onions, tomatoes, red cabbage, ginger-sesame dressing and wasabi aioli on a gourmet bun. Another specialty is “The Kraken,” made with all-beef sausage, grilled shrimp, caramelized onions, corn and black bean salsa, creamy chipotle dressing and red cabbage on a gourmet bun. Traditional beef burgers are also included on the menu, along with a turkey burger and pastrami burger. Lighter and vegetarian options include spinach and strawberry salad and pinto bean and veggie stew. Local craft beer from Ballast Point, Coronado Brewing Company and Saint Archer will be available on tap, as well as a selection of bottled beers, sodas and water.
In addition to food and beverages, Burgers, Bait & Beer will offer frozen bait and fishing tackle for sale. They will also offer free fishing pole rentals for children under the age of 12.
Burgers, Bait & Beer is owned and managed by Rich and Consuelo Rosengreen of Quality Coast Inc., a local company providing gourmet street food, catering and other services.
Cubic Lands $33.7 Million Army Contract
San Diego Union-Tribune
Cubic Corp. said this month that it has received a five-year, $33.7 million contract to support the U.S. Army’s Europe Joint Multinational Simulation Center in Germany.
The award was a continuation of a previous Cubic contract to support mission rehearsal exercises and other training events, as well as simulation training for joint NATO and partner-nation militaries. Work will occur at four locations in Germany, and one site in Italy.
The simulation training group in Germany and Italy is the U.S. Army’s largest overseas training command. It provides training through live, virtual and gaming exercises.
The contract of this award was offered through the Regional Contracting Office Bavaria.
Personnel Announcements
John Forry Joins Seltzer Caplan Law Firm
Noted international attorney John I. Forry has joined the Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek law firm in San Diego as of counsel.
Forry is well known in the United States and internationally as a leading attorney and academic in the areas of international finance, investment and tax planning and compliance. Throughout his 45-year career, Forry has represented U.S. and foreign businesses, financial institutions and individuals doing business either abroad from the U.S. or from abroad into the U.S., with a significant focus on Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
Besides founding a California law firm focused on U.S. investments from abroad, Forry was a senior partner with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he headed the firm’s California offices and its Pacific Rim and Latin America international practices and served on its governing board. He is also a former partner with Ernst & Young LLP in New York.
Susan Oliver Named Partner at Tyson & Mendes
Civil Litigation attorney Susan Oliver has joined the San Diego office of Tyson & Mendes LLP as partner.
A trial lawyer with more than 23 years’ experience, Oliver has defended a wide range of entities in professional and product liability, personal injury, business and employment cases as well as complex civil litigation.
Oliver is a former partner with White, Oliver & Amundson.
Each year since 2010, Oliver has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Southern California Super Lawyers.
Oliver received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Iowa.
Greenhaus Announces Staff Changes
Craig Fuller, co-founder and president of destination advertising company Greenhaus, announced that his partner, Beth Callender, has sold her stake in the company and is scaling back her day-to-day involvement with the firm.
Calender will continue to work with select clients on planning and brand stragegy and continue her role as product council chair with the Urban Land Institute.
Fuller also announced the addition of two advertising executives — Paul Whitbeck, managing director, and Rob Petrie, creative director, both previously with MeringCarson.
Greenhaus is celebrating its 20th year this year.
Whitbeck was general manager at MeringCarson’s San Diego office, where he and Petrie expanded the office from two to more than 20 staff members, while managing the San Diego Tourism Authority business and Auto Club Speedway’s annual NASCAR and IndyCar events, as well as other regional and statewide accounts. At Greenhaus, Whitbeck will be responsible for managing business operations and client services.
Petrie had been leading the creative team at MeringCarson San Diego for the past nine years. Earlier, he was associated with the San Diego agencies Greenhaus, DiZinno Thompson and NYCA – including some time at Global Agency Young and Rubicon.
