Daily Business Report-March 7, 2018
Rendering of the ‘17th & G’ development (Courtesy of Carrier Johnson + Culture)
Design Approved for ‘17th & G’
Housing Project in East Village
Civic San Diego approved the design for “17th & G,” a seven-story (83-foot tall) affordable housing development proposed by Affirmed Housing Group. The project is located at the northeast corner of 17th and G streets in the East Village neighborhood of Downtown.
Eighty-six units will be permanent supportive housing for those at risk of homelessness. The project was designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture and is anticipated to begin construction in March 2019 with occupancy by October 2020, according to the Civic San Diego announcement.
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Chaos at Civic San Diego
By Scott Lewis | Voice of San Diego
Big changes are coming at Civic San Diego, the city’s downtown development agency.
Reese Jarrett, Civic’s president and CEO since 2014, announced his retirement on Feb. 28.] It isn’t clear when he’ll leave, but he broke the news following a one-hour closed session meeting of the agency’s board.
The departure comes as Civic is engulfed in crisis due to a lawsuit from Murtaza Baxamusa, a former Civic San Diego board member who is associated with the region’s largest construction workers union.
During his lawsuit, Baxamusa found four current and former Civic staffers who alleged a range of improper actions by Jarrett, other civic leaders and their board of directors.
Civic leaders deny all of the allegations, and none compare to the criminal charges that brought down agencies that existed before Civic. But they have nonetheless been enough to create a sense of chaos around the agency. Mayor Kevin Faulconer and officials who work for him are now negotiating with Baxamusa to resolve his lawsuit. It could mean a dramatic change to the agency.
Since its creation, Civic has moved from one political crisis to the next. It was created from the husks of two scandal plagued agencies: the Southeastern Development Corp., where two leaders pleaded guilty to embezzlement, and the Centre City Development Corp., which lost its leader to criminal charges after she was involved in approving a project with a company in which she had a financial stake.
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Rancho Bernardo Office
Building Sells for $37.1 Million
Excel Centre, a 83,213-square-foot medical office building in Rancho Bernardo anchored by Kaiser Permanente, has sold to Chicago-based MBRE Healthcare for $37.1 million. The property is located at 17140 Bernardo Center Drive. The seller was an institutional investor.
Excel Centre is part of the larger Park Terrace, a mixed-use development featuring offices, hotels, restaurants and fitness facilities.
The seller was represented by Cushman & Wakefield’s San Diego office.
“As the project’s sole and majority tenant occupying the first two floors, Kaiser’s recent expansion and lease extension within the building signals their long-term commitment to the project and their patients in Rancho Bernardo,” said Rick Reeder of Cushman & Wakefield.
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Hammer Ventures Puts Finishing
Touch on High-Priced Muse La Jolla
Construction is now complete on Muse La Jolla, an exclusive new luxury residential community located on Prospect Street in La Jolla — a development by Hammer Ventures. The final phase of the project involved the completion of the four premier penthouse units, including one priced at $10.12 million.
Current prices at Muse La Jolla start from the mid-$1 million range for a one-bedroom home to over $10 million for a penthouse residence. The property is currently 30 percent sold.
The four-story, concrete building was originally conceptualized and designed in the 1960s by famed architects Ladd & Kelsey, who are credited with dozens of notable modernist projects throughout Southern California, including what is now the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena and the California Institute for the Arts in Valencia. This property in La Jolla is their only project in San Diego County.
The homes feature 10- to 12-foot ceilings, wide-open floor plans with large gallery walls, and expansive stacking slider window walls for up to 80 feet of panoramic views of the ocean, Mount Soledad and the Village of La Jolla.
The Muse La Jolla redesign and renovation project team also included AVRP Skyport Studios, an architecture firm, , and Matrix Design, an architecture and interior design firm.
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Edith Eva Eger: Auschwitz Survivor
A native of Hungary, Edith Eva Eger was just a teenager in 1944 when she experienced one of the worst evils the human race has ever known. As a Jew living in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe, she and her family were sent to Auschwitz, the heinous death camp. Her parents were sent to the gas chambers but Edith’s bravery kept her and her sister alive. Today, Eger, a psychologist, is a prolific author and a member of several professional associations. She has a clinical practice in La Jolla and holds a faculty appointment at the University of California, San Diego. She has appeared on numerous television programs and was the primary subject of a holocaust documentary that appeared on Dutch National Television. She will speak at the Leadership Conference March 23 as part of San Diego Women’s Week sponsored by the North San Diego Business Chamber. Women’s Week runs March 19-21-23. Click here for the schedule.
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Disaster Preparedness Academy
March 23 Helps Local Businesses
The American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties, in partnership with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, will host the fourth annual Disaster Preparedness Academy on March 23 to help local businesses increase their resiliency following disasters of all kinds.
Topics presented will include:
- Emergency Action Planning; presenter: San Diego Fire Department
- Communication Challenges in a Disaster; panel discussion with representatives from the County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services, Cox Communications, San Diego Gas & Electric, and 2-1-1 San Diego
- Active Threat Response; presenter Chula Vista Police Department
- “Stop the Bleed” Training; presenter American Medical Response
- Business Recovery Following a Disaster; presenter Garden Communities
- American Red Cross Ready Rating program
The event is sponsored by the American Red Cross Business Leadership Council members and runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center. Individual registration is $40 for SD Chamber members and $50 for nonmembers. Visit sdchamber.org.
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Drone Defense Company Closes
$12 Million in Series A Financing
San Diego-based Citadel Defense Company, which developed a counter drone system, announced that it has secured $12 million in capital for its Series A Financing round. The round was funded solely by Lightspeed Venture Partners and led by partners John Vrionis and Larsen Jensen.
“Citadel delivers a world class solution that clears the skies of unauthorized drones, helping keep U.S. soldiers, critical infrastructure and soft targets safe,” said Daniel Magy, CEO and co-founder of Citadel. “We are excited to work with the team at Lightspeed to continue building a business that is already working to keep U.S. soldiers safe in several conflict zones. This investment will help advance our industry leading technology, accelerate product growth, and extend our sales capabilities.”
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Personnel Announcements
Henry Goldansky Joins Comhear Inc.
Comhear Inc., a San Diego-based audio technology company, announced the hiring of Henry Goldansky as senior vice president of engineering. In his new role, Goldansky will be responsible for all Comhear technical resources and initiatives, from new product conception to development engineering, volume manufacturing and mechanical support.
Goldansky brings more than 30 years of audio product research and development expertise in the professional, consumer and automotive fields to the Comhear executive team roster. His industry experience goes well beyond engineering – with a keen business acumen, he has been a key contributor to innovation and growth at some of the world’s leading audio companies. Previously, he has held technical and management positions at Harman International, JBL Professional, Pioneer Electronics and Cerwin Vega where he aided in the development of audio products for large scale entertainment including cinema, sports and music events.
Goldansky holds degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering from UNAM, Mexico City. He will be based in the company’s San Diego office.
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Ken Ederington Named Director
of Science at Carrier Johnson + Culture
Architect Ken Ederington has joined the architecture, interiors and branding firm Carrier Johnson + Culture as director of science. With nearly four decades of experience as a project leader for scientific and research facilities, Ederington offers valuable insights on how labs and researchers work today.
Drawing on a prodigious career designing dozens of laboratory projects spanning three continents, Ederington is regarded for his work as an architect, planner and project manager. He has particular expertise in laboratories that help boost productivity and enhance performance outcomes, using cost-effective solutions for improving efficiency as well as occupant health and wellness. Ederington also offers insights in lab facility tenant improvements, build-to-suit projects, and research facilities within corporate headquarters.
Ederington received his Bachelor’s of Architecture degree at the University of Nebraska.
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Ghazala Sharieff, M.D., Named to
Newly Created Position at Scripps Health
Longtime emergency medicine physician Ghazala Sharieff, M.D., has been named to the newly created position of corporate vice president and chief experience officer at Scripps Health. Scripps created the position as part of its ongoing redesign of the way it manages and delivers health care.
In her new role, Sharieff leads efforts to improve and maintain an exceptional patient experience at Scripps. Most recently, she served as Scripps Health’s senior director of patient experience and medical management. Sharieff also served as medical director of Scripps’ office of quality and medical management.
A resident of Carlsbad, Sharieff has published and lectured extensively on patient satisfaction. Her innovative approaches in identifying patient concerns – and her work with physicians and staff to effectively address those concerns – have resulted in significant improvements in patient satisfaction scores.
Before joining Scripps, Sharieff was division director of the emergency department at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, and was director of pediatric emergency medicine for CEP-America, a national medical practice group. She earned her medical degree from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, completed her residency in emergency medicine at Stanford University and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Rady Children’s Hospital. She received her physician executive Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Knoxville in Tennessee.
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Amanda Conover Joins Bank of Southern California
Bank of Southern California, a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has named Amanda Conover as vice president, director of marketing. She will be responsible for developing and executing a strategic marketing plan that strengthens brand awareness and drives growth, further supporting the Bank’s efforts to increase its presence as it continues its expansion in the Southern California region.
Conover brings over 13 years of industry experience working most recently for Western Alliance Bank headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
