Daily Business Report-Nov. 15, 2016
The Casa del Prado in Balboa Park
Plaza de Panama Project
Wins City Council Approval
Times of San Diego
San Diego City Council gave its final approval Monday to move forward on the $79 million Plaza de Panama project, which is designed to make Balboa Park more pedestrian-friendly by decreasing the number of vehicles in the park.
The item was approved by a vote of 8-1, with Council President Sherri Lightner dissenting.
The project calls for the creation of 6.3 acres of vehicle-free, pedestrian-friendly parkland, as well as gardens and plazas in the heart of the park. Five areas in the park – the Plaza de Panama, Plaza de California, West El Prado, Esplanade and the parking lot behind the Spreckels Organ Pavilion — will become pedestrian park spaces, with no vehicle traffic, under the plan.
Construction of designated parking areas, including a three-level underground parking garage behind the Organ Pavilion, are also part of the design, as is a new tram service with potential for future expansion, according to city documents.
The project will be financed through a combination of paid parking revenues in the new garage, city funds earmarked for major capital projects and about $30 million in private philanthropy, led by the Plaza de Panama Committee and its chairman Dr. Irwin Jacobs, the Qualcomm co-founder, according to city documents.
“We can now seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform San Diego’s crown jewel for the next century,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “This public-private partnership will reclaim the heart of Balboa Park for pedestrians and return the Plaza de Panama to its original grandeur. With the support from the City Council and great civic leaders like Dr. Irwin Jacobs, the grand restoration of Balboa Park can finally begin.”
Project opponents contend the project contributes to “unnecessary and unwanted destruction of historical fabric to Balboa Park’s Cabrillo Bridge and its surrounding canyon areas.” Opponents also argue that paid parking at the park will be too costly for families and that anticipated revenues may not come to fruition.
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New International Cottagess Approved
for Balboa Park by San Diego Council
The San Diego City Council on Monday voted to approve a plan to build nine new international cottages in Balboa Park. The new cottages will house members of the House of Pacific Relations, a nonprofit organization based in Balboa Park that promotes multicultural goodwill and understanding through educational and cultural programs.
Among member countries/cultures slated to use these cottages are Peru, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Korea, India, Palestine, and Turkey. At approximately 500 square feet each and designed to be museums with the appearance of a private homes, these new cottages will join existing ones that offer visitors a glimpse of the culture, history and traditions of each member. The new cottages have been designed to be compatible in scale and detail with the original cottages while being differentiated enough as to not be confused as original structures.
“People from all over the world have made San Diego their home and have brought with them their cultures, traditions and history” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “Though our ancestry may mean we bring different perspectives to how we see the world, we share one thing in common: we are all San Diegans. These cottages will give us the opportunity to further showcase our diversity, which is one of our city’s greatest strengths.”
“The international cottages are staples of Balboa Park and represent the great fortune we have to live in one of the most diverse cities in the nation,” said Councilman Todd Gloria. “I was thrilled to be able to support today’s item and bring nine more cottages to add to the impressive diversity found in the House of Pacific Relations.”
The House of Pacific Relations complex was originally constructed for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition and included 15 small structures. The cottages are fairly small in size and, while being similar in architectural style, each has its own unique details. Membership in the House of Pacific Relations is greater than the number of cottages available. Nations without a cottage of their own currently meet in the Hall of Nations building on a rotating basis.
“We are thrilled for the approval of this project. These new cottages will join the existing ones to harmonize peacefully as nonpolitical and nonsectarian cultural organizations in the heart of Balboa Park,” said Eugenie King, president of the House of Pacific Relations. “These new cottages will be run by volunteers and will share their cultures, music, dance, art and food with each other and the community at large, increase tolerance, trust, and respect in the city of San Diego.”
“We have been working very hard planning and fund-raising for this project for nearly a decade, and it is wonderful that we are ready to build our new cottages for the residents and visitors of San Diego to enjoy,” said George Novinger, chairman of the New International Cottages Committee. “We appreciate the strong support and cooperation we’ve received from HPR, Balboa Park and its institutions, and the city as we move forward towards completion of our project.”
Construction is anticipated to last approximately one year, with the goal to be complete and open to the public by the December Nights 2017 holiday celebration in Balboa Park.
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m.
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Scientists Discover How
Protein Senses Touch
A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) reveals that a protein first discovered at TSRI in 2010 is directly responsible for sensing touch. Knowledge about this protein, called Piezo 1, could be relevant for designing better pain medications and exploring future therapies for blood disorders, hypertension and more.
“This latest work provides definitive proof that Piezos are, by themselves, ‘mechanosensitive,’” said senior author Ardem Patapoutian, a professor at TSRI and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
The study was published recently in the journal Cell Reports.
Piezo 1 is an “ion channel,” or gateway through the cell membrane. When it senses mechanical force, it opens to allow ions to pass into the cell, starting a chain of events that send a signal to the brain—in other words, Piezo proteins control the sensation of touch.
“Out of all our senses, the sense of touch is the least understood, so significant efforts are being made to acquire a more complete understanding,” said Ruhma Syeda, a professional scientific collaborator at TSRI and first author of the new study. “We are only now unraveling the physiological roles of Piezo proteins.”
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Colliers International San Diego
Region Relocates Local Office
Colliers International San Diego Region has relocated their San Diego office in University Towne Center to accommodate regional growth. The firm’s new, contemporary-designed 19,059-square-foot space is located in the Plaza University Towne Center at 4350 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 500, San Diego.
“Colliers International has expanded our market-leading speciality brokerage and property management teams countywide. Flexible workspaces, high-tech capabilities, common meeting areas, and first-rate amenities of the new office will support increased collaboration of teams to further accelerate our clients’ success,” said Andy Dow, regional managing director.
In San Diego County, the Colliers International team consists of three offices and more than 100 commercial real estate professionals. The firm offers full service capabilities including property leasing, tenant representation, investment sales, advisory services, property valuation, land sales, and property management.
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San Diego Council Approves
Uptown Community Plan Update
The San Diego City Council on Monday approved the Uptown Community Plan Update, nearly 30 years since the initial passage of the plan.
Passage of the community plan update brings the Uptown Community Plan into conformance with the city’s General Plan and the Climate Action Plan as well as addressing issues surrounding urban design.
“Today’s approval of the Uptown Community Plan Update is an important and necessary step not only to comply with our General Plan and Climate Action Plan, but to also set the right course for the future of our city going forward,” said Councilman Todd Gloria. “With this update, we will be able to foster vibrant, walkable, and transit-oriented communities in Uptown that reduces automobile dependency, protects the integrity of our historic resources, and embraces new urban growth.”
The Uptown community plan update articulates a long-range comprehensive policy and zoning framework for urban growth and development within the Uptown community planning area.
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Panther Biotechnology Merges with
Brown Technical Media Corp.
Panther Biotechnology Inc. of La Jolla announced its merger with Brown Technical Media Corp., a privately held corporation in Houston, Texas.
Brown and Panther have executed a share exchange agreement whereby all of the outstanding capital stock of Brown will be exchanged for 32,000,000 shares of Panther common stock. Brown will be managed as a second division of Panther. The board of directors and management of both companies voted unanimously to approve the transaction.
Brown Technical Media Corp. is positioning itself to be the leading online aggregator of compliance, career advancement, and training content for tradesman and technical experts in a wide variety of professions, according to the company. Brown’s mission is to disrupt and defragment the many disparate companies in the eLearning, standards and codes market place, which currently is collectively valued at over $100 billion globally and growing.
