Daily Business Report-June 29, 2016
San Diego Convention Center Sails Pavilion. (Credit: San Diego Convention Center Corp.)
$25 Million Loan OK’d to Upgrade Convention
Center Sails Pavilion and Other Improvements
The San Diego Convention Center Corp. and city of San Diego have obtained a $25.5 million loan from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank to finance the rejuvenation of the Sails Pavilion at the convention center and other upgrades to the facility.
The IBank loan will fund a total of eight capital improvement projects. The four major upgrades include:
• Rejuvenation of the Sails Pavilion
• Modernization of escalators
• Updating of fire and life-safety systems
• Installation of new cooling towers
The IBank loan is structured as a lease agreement with the loan repayment term set at 25 years at an interest rate of 3.59 percent. The Convention Center Corporation and the city of San Diego are co-lessees and IBank is the lessor.
“It’s gratifying that IBank can support San Diego’s collaborative effort to improve its Convention Center, a main economic driver for the city, and at the same time preserve the iconic sails, an historic symbol for the area,” said Teveia Barnes, IBank executive director. “At $25.5 million, this loan is also a milestone for IBank as the largest ever approved through our Infrastructure State Revolving Fund Program.”
The IBank program provides infrastructure project financing to public agencies and nonprofit organizations sponsored by public agencies that promote a healthy climate for jobs, contribute to a strong economy and improve the quality of life in California communities.
“I am very proud of the collaborative efforts of all the parties involved,” said Laurie Coskey, chair of the San Diego Convention Center Corp. Board of Directors. “Collectively, the state, the city and the Convention Center staff and board of directors all came together and through cooperative teamwork, created a responsible funding plan that will pave the way for significant improvements of the facility. “
“For more than 25 years, the San Diego Convention Center has served as a gathering place for organizations, associations and members of the San Diego community to meet and share ideas, experiences and knowledge,” said SDCCC President and CEO Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, CFE. “We are honored to provide a space that allows so many to come together and we look forward to upgrading our facility so that we may continue providing our guests with an outstanding experience.”
_________________________________________________
Governor Names San Diegan
To San Diego Superior Court Bench
Frank L. Birchak, 32, of San Diego, has been appointed to a judgship at the San Diego Superior Court by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Birchak has served as director of training, recruitment and career development at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office since 2014. He served as a deputy public defender at the San Diego County Alternate Public Defender’s Office from 2004 to 2014 and was an adjunct professor and supervising attorney of the Juvenile Defense Clinic at the University of Houston Law Center from 2002 to 2004.
Birchak was associate director at the Southwest Regional Juvenile Defender Center from 2001 to 2004 and was an associate at Guiberson Law Offices from 1999 to 2001. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thomas P. Nugent. Birchak is a Democrat.
The compensation for this position is $189,041.
Black Plague Brewing Leases
Space in Oceanside Business Park
Black Plague Brewing has leased space at 2550 Jason Court in Oceanside, planning to join the eight other breweries currently operating in the city in another six months.
The 12,945-square-foot, free-standing building is located in the Jason Court Business Park on the east side of Oceanside between State Routes 76 and 78.
Black Plague Brewing is connected to professional skateboarding with seasoned expert Jordan Hoffart as “Director of Brand” and other industry-related investors involved in the venture.
The value of the lease is $724,000.
Lee & Associates represented Black Plague Brewing in the lease transaction with landlord Southwest Green International Inc., represented by Kidder Mathews.
India Wants to Purchase 22
General Atomics-Built Predators
By GovCon Daily
India has asked to acquire a batch of General Atomics-built Predator unmanned aerial vehicles through a foreign military sales agreement with the U.S. government, Defense News reported Monday.
The Indian government sent a letter of request to the U.S. on June 17 to procure 22 Predator UAVs in support of the former country’s naval forces.
The Indian navy plans to use the drones to support maritime surveillance efforts over the Indian Ocean, according to the report.
The U.S. and India have begun to consider the technology transfer for India’s proposed aircraft carrier and engine technology sharing under the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative that seeks to support the Make In India program through joint projects between the two countries, according to the report.
SDSU Entrepreneurship
Prof Honored for Innovation
Alex DeNoble, executive director at San Diego State University’s Lavin Entrepreneurship Center, has been presented the International Council for Small Business’ 2016-2017 Presidential Award for his innovation and creation of the California Entrepreneurship Educators Conference.
The award was presented during the July session of the organization’s world conference at the headquarters of the United Nations.
The California Entrepreneurship Educators Conference is held at the San Diego State campus. “The impressive program, design and mission of this unique conference offered an extraordinary opportunity for networking and an exchange of ideas between entrepreneurship academics,” said Ayman El Tarabishy, president of the International Council for Small Business.
“I am sincerely honored and surprised to have been named as the recipient of this year’s ICSB Presidential Award,” said DeNoble. “This award is very prestigious among entrepreneurship educators and I am delighted to be recognized by my colleagues and peers.”
South County EDC Unveils New Tourism Website
The South County Economic Development Council has launched a new tourism website to showcase all of the outdoor activities South Bay has to offer — www.SanDiegosSouthBay.com.
The website is meant to bring awareness to the beaches, bikes, birds, boards “and vast tourism opportunities located throughout south San Diego County.”
Community leaders throughout South County have come together to support SCEDC and help launch the new website, where visitors can find information on things to do, attractions, events, places to eat and sleep, and learn more about robust ecological draw that South Bay offers.
“It’s great to see the communities come together to showcase the unique tourism opportunities that South Bay offers,” said Joe Terzi, president of San Diego Tourism Authority. “It rounds out the tourism activities nicely as it relates to the county as a whole.”
Some of the highlights in South Bay include: Border Field State Park, Crown Cove Aquatic Center, Hotel Del Coronado, Silver Strand State Beach, Pier 32 Marina, Aquatica, Olympic Training Center, Imperial Beach Pier Plaza, Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center, and Living Coast Discovery Center.
“One thing that really sets South Bay apart is the ecotourism aspect,” said Monica Montano, president of SCEDC board. “Many people aren’t aware of the biodiversity in their own back yard. Our goal is to let our community know that they don’t have to go far to experience such a vast array of plants and wildlife.”
Valentin Ramirez Appointed to Lead
Chicken of the Sea International
Thai Union Group PCL has appointed Valentin Ramirez as CEO of Tri-Union Seafood LLC, processor and distributor of Chicken of the Sea International. Ramirez will be based at the company’s headquarters in San Diego.
Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English, Ramirez has held extensive managerial roles in some of the world’s leading companies such as McCormick & Company, WM. Wrigley Jr. Company and Procter & Gamble. A proven business leader, Ramirez has significant international experience gathered while based in Europe and the Americas.
Prior to joining Chicken of the Sea, Ramirez served as vice president and general manager for McCormick & Company, based in Maryland. A graduate of Rice University, he received his MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
Second-Generation San Diegan Appointed
To North Pacific Fishery Management Council
Theresa Peterson, a second-generation native of San Diego who resides in Alaska, has been confirmed to serve a three-year term on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council by U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. She was appointed by Alaska Gov. Bill Walker.
A Kodiak resident, Peterson will replace Duncan Fields.
“I am honored to serve on the council and look forward to the opportunity to give back to a fishing industry that has provided so much for me and my family,” said Peterson. “Many of us here in Alaska today had a chance to get into the fishing industry; we stayed and raised our families in coastal communities throughout the state. I want the next generation of fishermen to have similar opportunities to commercial fish and work their way up to ownership. Small boat fishermen are the fabric of maritime communities around the state and their voices must be heard in the Council arena along with large scale fisheries.”
The Council is one of eight regional councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to manage federal fisheries (3-200 miles from shore).
Peterson has participated in a variety of state and federal fisheries, including pot fishing, set-netting, seining, driftnetting, and long-lining, in addition to subsistence fisheries. She and her husband own and operate a small commercial boat and salmon set-net site in Kodiak. She has been a steadfast advocate for small-boat, independent fishing businesses, who many believe comprise the heart of Alaskan fishing communities.
Buck Laukitis, a resident of Homer, also was confirmed to serve on the council.
Council Approves 15 Percent
Pay Raise for Police Dispatchers
By City News Service
The City Council Tuesday approved a 15 percent raise for police dispatchers in an effort to beef up staffing in the San Diego Police Department’s overworked Communications Department, which has been plagued by slow responses to 911 calls.
The pay hikes will come in three 5 percent increments — the first being Friday with the start of the new fiscal year.
While city officials have been aware of problems in the SDPD’s dispatch center, the problem only entered the public spotlight in April when a couple gave up calling 911 after several tries and drove their newborn to the hospital after he was bitten by a dog. The baby later died.
Last fall, two callers who had intruders in their homes in separate incidents each spent several minutes on hold.
Councilwoman Marti Emerald said the staffing problem stemmed from recession-era “draconian cuts” the city had to make, including a 6 percent across-the-board reduction in pay.
She said city officials have been trying to dig themselves out of that hole in recent years, and that few employees are more important than 911 dispatchers.
“You are the first line of defense for people who are having their absolute worst day,” Emerald said.
“Every sort of emergency there is — and you’re professional, you get information, you get it to the right agency to help get first responders out there, and you save lives,” Emerald said. “You make a difference and we owe you a great debt of gratitude.”
Supervisors Approve $5.36B County Budget
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a revised $5.36 billion budget Tuesday for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.
The revised budget is a $10.2 million increase over the 2016-17 CAO Recommended Operational Plan presented in May. The bulk of the additional funding is for one-time public safety-related projects.
County Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer said the budget was one that all San Diegans can be proud of. “Today’s budget maintains an excellent balance between the fiscal discipline demanded by our residents while also meeting the needs of our most vulnerable population,” said Robbins-Meyer.
