Daily Business Report-July 20, 2017

The Comic-Con library card designs were created by members of the Library’s Comic-Con International Graphic Novel Book Clubs. Above, Attiba Royster card.

Public Library Offers Cyborg-Themed Library

Cards Licensed by Comic-Con International

The city of San Diego Public Library is offering three new cyborg-themed library cards starting today. These are the only library cards officially licensed by Comic-Con International and are available at all 36 library locations and the Library’s Comic-Con booth #5523.

This is the fifth year the library has offered limited-edition Comic-Con library cards and the first year that patrons can choose from three designs.

The Comic-Con library card designs were created by members of the Library’s Comic-Con International Graphic Novel Book Clubs. The artists are:

• Vince Alvendia, a freelance artist who is influenced by a range of artists including Disney and animae.
• Bob McKeone, a comic book enthusiast who frequently works in pencil and applies inks and colors digitally.
• Attiba Royster, an illustrator and designer whose work features pop culture topics and draws inspiration from graffiti art and hip-hop culture. One of his designs was included in the 2016 Comic-Con International souvenir book.

There is a limited supply of Comic-Con library cards and card registration policies apply. The card is free to those applying for a San Diego Public Library card for the first time, and current Library cardholders who want to change their active library card will be charged a $2 fee for adult cards and $1 for children’s cards.

__________________

Average Apartment Rents in San Diego

Top $2,000 for the First Time

Times of San Diego

The average San Diego apartment rent surpassed $2,000 for the first time in June as occupancy exceeded 96 percent.

That was the finding of a new report by Axiometrics,  a Dallas-based company that monitors the apartment and student housing markets for developers and investors.

“San Diego continues its run as one of the strongest apartment markets in the nation,” said Jay Denton, vice president of analytics for Axiometrics. “However, a warning sign may be in place, since job growth has declined in April and May.”

Average rent in San Diego metropolitan area was $2,005 per month in June, compared to $1,986 a year ago and $1,911 two years ago.

Occupancy in June was 96.3 percent, a figure that has held steady since 2016, according to Axiometrics.

The average rent in San Diego in June was nearly $700 more than the national average.

__________________

Downtown Office and Retail

Condo Sells for $11.4 Million

A 27,000-square-foot office and retail condominium located in the ground floor of Downtown San Diego’s The Legend, a 200-unit mixed-use residential tower, has sold for $11,400,000. The Vancouver, B.C-based seller was Bosa Development. The buyer: San Diego-based HP Investors LLC.

The property is located directly adjacent to Petco Park’s Park in the Park at 323-325 Seventh Ave. and 777-797 J St. Tenants of the property include Stone Brewing Co., J Street Hospitality, BNIM Architecture, Rare Form, Fairweather and California Coast Credit Union among others.

This is the third recent residential building retail condominium transaction completed by Colliers International’s Urban Property Team. Within the last four months, the group has brokered the sale of a two-unit condominium in Muse La Jolla for $1,322 persquare foot, and the $1,325,000 sale of a two- unit condominium in Vue on 5th in Bankers Hill.

Colliers International represented the seller and buyer in the transaction.

__________________

EPA Gives City’s Pure Water

Recycling Project a Major Boost

The city’s innovative Pure Water San Diego program that will generate one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035 is getting a boost  from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA announced Wednesday that the Pure Water recycling program has been selected to apply for a federal loan of $492 million – giving the city access to lower interest rates and reducing the financial burden for water and wastewater ratepayers.

In April, the city submitted a Letter of Interest to the EPA for a loan from its Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program to help finance the Pure Water program. The agency is allowing the city to apply for a loan to cover up to 49 percent of the costs for the first phase of Pure Water that would purify 30 million gallons of water per day by 2021.

The Pure Water San Diego program is designed to purify enough wastewater to provide one-third of San Diego’s water supply — producing 83 million gallons per day — after all three phases are fully operational in 2035. The project would divert wastewater flows away from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, which treats wastewater before it’s piped into the ocean. This local supply of water will help the city reduce costly imported water purchases and improve San Diego’s water supply independence.

__________________

Construction Starts on Escondido

Victory Industrial Park

Badiee Development has commenced construction on the Escondido Victory Industrial Park, Escondido’s first new industrial development in more than a decade. The milestone was celebrated Wednesday with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The 91,000-square foot Escondido Victory Industrial Park is located at 2005 Harmony Grove Road will be completed in the spring of 2018. The project is comprised of two modern industrial buildings, which are suited for one to two substantially sized companies. The project will feature contemporary building design including outdoor areas that open to the Escondido Creek, high clear height ceilings and mezzanine space among other features.

Ware Malcomb is the architect and TFW Construction is the general contractor for the Escondido Victory Industrial Park.

Also in Escondido, Badiee Development plans to break ground on the Escondido Innovation Park, a second major industrial multi-tenant project, this coming fall.

__________________

San Diego Marketing Firms Receive

National ADDY Awards

Three San Diego marketing firms received four national ADDY awards at the American Advertising Federation’s American Advertising Awards Show at the ADMERICA convention, recently held in New Orleans. All three firms received second-place silver awards.

San Diego creative agency i.d.e.a. received two awards for their client Innovation Alliance in the user experience category and the B2B integrated advertising campaign category.

Two other national ADDY award recipients included: Traina Design in the magazine category for UC San Diego Discoveries Magazine, published by UC San Diego Health; Eat Drink Sleep in the menu category for Decoy Dockside, a restaurant in San Marcos.

Three students from the San Diego Portfolio Studio also received national student awards. Dan Hawes and Matthew Pitcher won a gold award in the campaign category for “Sea to Summit, Mine’s Smaller.” Vladimir Guskic won a silver award in the website category for client Buena Vista Social Club.

__________________

Comic-Con by the Numbers

Comic-Con generates the most regional impact of any event all year: an estimated $143.1 million, with $3.1 million in hotel and sales tax revenue going directly to the City of San Diego’s general fund. Attendee will spend about $84.7 million throughout the destination during their stay.