Daily Business Report-Dec. 6, 2019
SDSU will name the field at the new Aztec Stadium Bashor Field. (Rendering courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics)
Philanthropist Dianne L. Bashor donates
$15 million toward construction
of new SDSU stadium in Mission Valley
San Diego philanthropist Mrs. Dianne L. Bashor has donated $15 million to San Diego State University toward construction of the new stadium that will be part of SDSU Mission Valley, it was announced Thursday.
The commitment provides a lead gift for the stadium, the first project scheduled for SDSU’s proposed expansion into Mission Valley. In recognition of her generosity, SDSU will name the field at the new Aztec Stadium Bashor Field.
SDSU President Adela de la Torre, Adrienne Vargas, SDSU Interim Vice President for University Relations and Development, and SDSU Athletics Director John David Wicker announced the lead gift with Mrs. Bashor and CSU Board of Trustees Chairman Adam Day during a news conference. Administrators, staff, students, donors and members of the community were in attendance.
“Mrs. Bashor believes in San Diego State University’s vision and its dedication to academic excellence that places student success at the core of its mission,” said Vargas, also CEO of The Campanile Foundation. “SDSU is fortunate to have a generous friend in Mrs. Dianne Bashor and her gift is a reaffirmation that after more than 122 years, this university continues to earn widespread support.”
A first-time donor to the university, Mrs. Bashor presented a gift that is one of the largest single donations ever made to SDSU.
Mrs. Bashor and her late husband, businessman Jim Bashor, are known for their significant gifts to many local institutions including the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Imperial Council, and Boy Scouts of America.
In addition to the new multi-use stadium, the university intends to build a world-class campus and a community river park. On November 18, the San Diego City Council voted unanimously to move forward with the process that will allow SDSU to purchase the Mission Valley stadium site.
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Manchester Grand Hyatt completes
property-wide renovation
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego announced the completion of a multi-million-dollar upgrade to its entrance, lobby, lobby bar and lounge, The Landing. The work marks the completion of the final piece of a hotel-wide renewal that saw updates to all 1,628 guestrooms, Top of the Hyatt bar and lounge, Sally’s Fish House & Bar, Brew30 California Taps, 32nd and 33rd floor meeting space, ballrooms, fitness center, and Grand Club.
Whitespace Interiors, a Chicago-based boutique interior design firm that specializes in luxury hospitality and residential projects, worked with Grand Hyatt San Diego throughout the entire redesign.
The Landing, previously known as the Grand Lobby Bar, received a complete makeover with custom woodwork, marble tabletops with brass banding, layers of sophisticated lighting, and a centerpiece mural featuring layers of translucent glass illustrating crystal blue waters and movement.
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CBRE: Demand for hotels in San Diego
remains strong with steady occupancy
Demand for hotels in the San Diego area is forecast to remain strong next year, with occupancy across all product types essentially on par with 2019 at 77.4 percent and average daily room rates set to increase 2.8 percent to $173, according to CBRE Hotels Research.
Much of this growth will come from luxury hotels, which are expected to experience a 3.8 percent increase to $213.61 in average daily room rate in 2020. Revenue per available room, a measure of occupancy and rate, is set to climb 3.1 percent next year in the region, according to the report.
“San Diego’s hotel market is driven heavily by leisure and group, with commercial demand more concentrated in the UTC area,” said Bruce Baltin, managing director of CBRE Hotels.
U.S. lodging industry performance in 2019 exemplifies the new marketplace. The CBRE forecast for the change in lodging demand during the year has improved from a 1.8 percent gain in the September 2019 edition of Hotel Horizons, to a 2 percent increase in the current edition. The updated outlook calls for the national occupancy rate to remain at the 66.1 percent record level achieved in 2018. This marks the 10th consecutive year without a national occupancy decline.
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Regional Airport Authority continues
noise study with public input
In an ongoing effort to identify current and future noise impacts in neighborhoods near San Diego International Airport, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is seeking FAA review of maps that illustrate noise exposure levels, known as “noise contours.” This effort is part of the Airport Authority’s Part 150 Noise Study.
As part of the study, the Airport Authority has enlisted the help of a citizens’ advisory committee made up of residents living in key communities such as La Jolla, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and La Mesa. Together, the group is working to identify ways to either mitigate the aircraft noise already occurring or abate the aircraft noise at the source.
The Airport Authority hosted a public workshop Nov. 21, attended by about 30 members of the public. Participants were given the opportunity to learn various aspects of the Part 150 study, through technical members of the study team, allowing them to ask individual questions and engage in a collaborative dialogue.
To learn more about the Part 150 Study, visit SanNoiseStudy.com. To learn more about SAN’s noise mitigation program, visit san.org/Airport-Noise.
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UC San Diego Health part of national
initiative to improve senior patient care
UC San Diego Health has become the first health care system in San Diego to join the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative and be recognized as Committed to Care Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The designation acknowledges UC San Diego Health’s implementation of a set of evidence-based interventions designed to improve care for older adults.
UC San Diego Health joins more than 100 health systems across the nation that are part of the initiative. The goal of IHI is for 20 percent of hospitals and health systems in the United States to be recognized as age-friendly by 2020.
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City of San Diego to award emergency
ambulance service contract to Falck
Emergency ambulance provider Falck has been selected to enter into exclusive negotiations with the city of San Diego to provide contracted 911 ambulance services for the city beginning in mid-2020.
San Diego’s selection of Falck represents the first change in contracted 911 ambulance providers since 1997. “I think change always provides opportunity,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Colin Stowell said.
An agreement on a contract is expected within 30 days.
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San Diego Foundation announces more
than $2.7 million in scholarships available
The San Diego Foundation announced that hundreds of scholarships are available through the Community Scholarship Program for San Diego students pursuing higher education during the 2020-2021 school year.
Through the online application, students can access more than $2.7 million in available funds for 140 unique types of scholarships, including those for four-year universities, two-year colleges, graduate and vocational schools. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate, medical and professional school students and adult re-entry students.
The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program is the largest in the region outside of the university system and provides a variety of scholarships. Since 1997, the program has awarded more than $33 million to thousands of students.
The Common Scholarship Application can be accessed at SDFoundation.org/CSA.
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Boeing supports SDSU Troops
to Engineers Program with $100,000 gift
The Boeing Company has renewed its support for an innovative jobs-placement initiative at San Diego State University, announcing a $100,000 contribution for the Troops to Engineers program. This gift represents the fourth consecutive year of support for the program, which provides assistance for military veterans studying engineering at SDSU.
“Boeing has a long-standing commitment to supporting men and women in uniform and military families by employing more than 20,000 veterans who are continuing their mission with Boeing.” said Ward Wilson, director of the aerospace company’s San Diego office.
Established at SDSU in 2011, Troops to Engineers was introduced to address both a high unemployment rate for veterans and a nationwide shortage of experienced engineers. It was originally funded by an Office of Naval Research grant and has since been funded by philanthropic support of which Boeing has been a leading champion.
According to College of Engineering Dean Eugene Olevsky, one in 15 engineers in the U.S. is educated through the CSU system. “We thank Boeing for their generous support which truly makes an impact for students in the college, the San Diego industry, nationally and around the world,” Olevsky said.
Members of the program’s staff work with students to help them secure paid internships that often lead to first jobs, and assist them in preparing for job placement before graduating. Troops to Engineers has a 100 percent employment placement rate for its students in a field where their skills are in short supply.
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Carlsbad tech company Centauri names
Jim Pietrocini VP of business development
Centauri, a technological company based in Carlsbad, has named Jim Pietrocini as vice president of business development for the company’s space superiority and missile defense business. In his new role, Pietrocini will help bring the company’s engineering, intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced space and missile defense solutions to new government customers.
Pietrocini brings more than 25 years of industry experience in the Department of Defense, federal technology and C4ISR markets. Previously, he held roles in sales and business development at Northrop Grumman, IBM, Salesforce and Elastic, focusing on C2, cybersecurity, software development and data analytics. Pietrocini also founded and served as chief executive officer of the R.L. Phillips Group, bringing C4ISR and cybersecurity services to the DoD.
Pietrocini will report directly to Patricia Nunn, Centauri’s senior vice president of business development.
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Chris Williams joins CBRE as first vice president
Chris Williams has joined CBRE as a first vice president and will focus on enhancing CBRE’s office presence in San Diego County.
Williams joins CBRE from Colliers International, where he exclusively represented approximately 1 million square-feet of existing office product and over 1 million square-feet of potential build to suit opportunities. He specializes in the representation of landlords, developers and tenants.
In his new role at CBRE, Williams will leverage his expertise in North County San Diego, particularly in the Highway 78 Corridor, Interstate 15 Corridor and Carlsbad office markets, while expanding his reach throughout all of San Diego.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
