Daily Business Report-Jan. 8, 2020
The entire project is situated on just over an acre and is the first new ground up project to be completed in Solana Beach in several years.
RAF Pacifica Group completes construction
of mixed-use project in Solana Beach
RAF Pacifica Group, led by developer Adam Robinson, has completed construction of its new mixed-use project in Solana Beach, 330 Cedros, in the heart of the Cedros Design District.
The development includes retail space on the street level including a location for a 3,000+ square-foot restaurant with patio.
On the second level, 330 Cedros includes over 7,000 square feet of creative office space, and the first luxury residential units along Cedros including six two-bedroom units and two one-bedroom units, each unit ranging from 1,700 square feet to just over 1,000 square feet.
Residential amenities include: concrete tile floors, quartz waterfall countertops, washer and dryer in every unit, floating fireplaces, ceramic tiled backsplashes, plaster walls, 16-18 foot ceilings.
The entire project is situated on just over an acre and is the first new ground up project to be completed in Solana Beach in several years. Designed to add to the community, 330 Cedros features art murals on the exterior of the building from local artists including Skye Walker.
The residential units and office spaces are now available to lease. The retail portion of the project has been partially leased with cult gym F45 taking a section of the retail, the restaurant space is also still available. Leasing for the project is being handled by Next Wave Commercial primary Nate Benedetto.
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Mission Valley retail center sold
to local buyer for $5.55 million
A local, private buyer has purchased Las Cumbres Square, a retail center in Mission Valley, for $5.55 million.
Located at 6110-6120 Friars Road, the 12,781 square-foot property was originally built in 1978 and was remodeled in 2019. The retail center was 70 percent leased to nine tenants at the time of sale. The tenant roster includes Round Table Pizza, Mr. Peabody’s Burgers & Ale and Los Panchos Taco Shop. The site offers 63 off-street parking spaces.
The property is directly across from Riverwalk Golf Course, a future master-planned redevelopment site that will include 4,300 residential units, 150,000 square feet of retail space and one million square feet of Class A office space.
CBRE’s Reg Kobzi, Joel Wilson and Michael Peterson represented the seller, a local investor, in the transaction. The CBRE team also represented the buyer in the transaction.
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Donovan’s steakhouse closes abruptly
after 20-year run in UTC, La Jolla
San Diego Union-Tribune
Donovan’s steakhouse, which operated in the UTC area and later in La Jolla for the last two decades, abruptly shut its doors last weekend.
The ownership cited what it says is the rising cost of doing business in California as a factor in the decision to close Donovan’s Steak & Chop House, although its sister restaurant in downtown San Diego remains open for business.
“Donovan’s business model has always been driven by the dining experience we provide to our guests,” co-owner Dan Shea said in a statement following the Sunday closure. “Providing that level of experience has become unsustainable as the high cost of doing business in California continues to rise. It’s an unfortunate reality, and the decision to close this location was not made lightly.”
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Local police departments won’t shed much
light on how they’re using drones
Voice of San Diego
Police agencies have a natural attraction to drones: The aerial devices can offer a picture of a scene, a suspect or an event that’s far more telling than they could get on the ground.
But the six police agencies across San Diego County that are using drones in some capacity aren’t very willing to give the public a clear picture of how they’re using the technology, VOSD contributor Jared Whitlock reports in a new piece.
“Only two agencies — the Carlsbad Police Department and Escondido Police Department — provided internal logs describing their drone activity. Requests for footage were largely denied by the agencies. … The Carlsbad and Chula Vista police departments provided select drone video in response to record requests, including an aerial view of a Carlsbad street fair. Other agencies declined.”
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AB 5 — deal with it
“AB 5 is the law.” That’s the “speak softly and carry a big stick” notice to California businesses on California’s new worker-classification law from Julie Su, secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, who has the authority to crack down on workplace violations and investigate complaints.
“We want businesses and companies to be aware and to voluntarily comply,” Su told Judy Lin of CalMatters as state lawmakers geared up for 2020. “We will pursue enforcement efforts for those who don’t.”
Lin reports that Su declined to say whether her agency is actively investigating gig companies such as Uber and Lyft for refusing to comply. But: “There is not a grace period.”
Gig companies, freelance writers and truckers have all sued to stop AB 5, a labor-backed law that is estimated to turn 1 million California contract workers into employees. So far, only truckers have won a temporary injunction, but The Washington Post reports Uber is building a case that drivers are free from the company’s control.
On Monday, a federal judge refused to grant freelance journalists and photographers exemption from the new labor law, saying they waited too long to claim an emergency.
Are you affected? The labor agency has an employment status website designed to help businesses and workers navigate the new changes and sort out which workers should get W-2s.
–Dan Morain, CALmatters
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Advanced Training Associates
changes name to ATA College
Advanced Training Associates, a nationally accredited private college in El Cajon, has changed its name to ATA College, effective immediately. The new name has been chosen to better reflect the full scope of the school’s career education program offerings.
In addition to the new institutional name, the college will change its website domain from advancedtraining.edu to atacollege.edu.
ATA College offers affordable career training for students throughout the San Diego metropolitan area. Educational programs include Software Development Medical Assisting, Health Information Technology, Telecommunications and Fiber Optics Installation, and Criminal Justice.
The school’s mission is to provide diploma and associate degree training for entry-level positions in specialized fields.
“We are excited to have a name,” said ATA College Admissions Director Steve Howard. “that more accurately reflects the nature of our school. This little technical school has grown into a full-fledged college.”
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RAR Hospitality to host 30th anniversary
celebration and conference Feb. 20
RAR Hospitality will host its 30th anniversary celebration and conference, RARCON 2020 on Feb. 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn San Diego/Del Mar. The conference’s mission is to bring together the industry’s most dynamic players to share their insights and intelligence on the travel and hotel industry.
RARCON 2020 unites more than 150 hospitality leaders from investors to developers, owners, and influencers for a half-day event of next-level education, discussion and networking to celebrate 30 years of hospitality success with leading hotel management firm RAR Hospitality.
Panelists and moderators include:
Kerri Kapich, COO of San Diego Tourism Authority; Holly Zoba, owner of Influencer Sales; Lily Mockerman, CEO of Total Customized Revenue Management; Zarina Zerthuche, hospitality marketing consultant; Alan Reay, president of Atlas Hospitality Group; Guy Maisnik, partner and vice chair of the JMBM Global Hospitality Group;
Joe Terzi, CEO of San Diego Tourism Authority.
Click here for more information.
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General Atomics concludes successful
series of MQ-9 demonstations
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. concluded a series of flight demonstrations using its MQ-9 Guardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft System on Dec. 19, 2019. The demonstrations showcased the maritime surveillance capabilities of the MQ-9, and the General Atomics-developed Detect and Avoid system for traffic-deconfliction in civil airspace. The flights were sponsored by the Hellenic Air Force and the Hellenic Coast Guard and staged out of Larissa Air Base in Greece. The flights were performed for an audience of European military and civilian representatives.
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San Diego Press Club announces 2019-2020
Board of Directors, headed by Albert Fulcher
The San Diego Press Club has announced its 2019-2020 board of directors. Albert Fulcher, LGBTQ San Diego County News and San Diego Neighborhood Newspapers, will serve as president.
Other members of the executive committee include: Eileen Gaffen, Steres Gaffen Media, as first VP; Ed Joyce, San Diego County Water Authority, as second VP; Cliff Albert, News Radio KOGO 600-AM, as treasurer; Laura Walcher, retired, as secretary; Karyl Carmignani, San Diego Zoo Global, as immediate past president.
Other board members include: Cynthia Dial, travel journalist; Kathi Diamant, freelance writer; Kris Eitland, sandiegostory.com; Maggie Espinosa, freelance travel journalist; Mayte Rodriguez, Traveler Publications; Francisco Ramos-Moreno; CBS News 8; Thom Senzee, freelance journalist; Nicole Vargas, San Diego City College.
Additional board members who were recently elected to three-year terms through 2022 include Albert and Carmignani, along with: Patrick Bartosch, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute; Kristen Castillo, freelance journalist; Rick Griffin, Rick Griffin Marketing Communications; Denise Scatena, Scatena Daniels Marketing.
The board also includes four former board members with director emeritus status. They include retirees Reid Carroll and Laura Walcher, Gayle Lynn Falkenthal of the Falcon Valley Group and Barbara Metz of Metz Public Relations.
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San Diego International Airport invites
public to take part in free guided arts tours
San Diego International Airportannounces new, free guided tours of the arts on display at the airport. The tours are an offering of the Airport’s Arts Program, which makes public art, exhibitions and performances accessible to passengers, visitors and residents of San Diego. Community or school groups as well as individuals are invited to sign up for a behind-the-scenes tour to learn fascinating insights about art in the airport.
“Through the airport’s Arts Program, we feature a collection of diverse visual and performing arts offerings that provide a cultural and local enriching experience,” said Kim Becker, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
The 90-minute guided tour is led by trained volunteer Arts Ambassadors who journey through a number of pre-security screening areas and share information on the artists and artistic processes behind the works of art.
The tours are scheduled quarterly on the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the month, however the timing and frequency of offerings are subject to change. Free parking is provided and the tour starting point, Terminal 2 West international arrivals lobby, is easily accessible via public transit. Each tour can accommodate up to 20 participants and reservations are required. For more information and to register, please visit arts.san.organd select tours from the “Contact” menu option.
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Experts come together to save 3-year-old
gorilla’s eyesight at San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Animal care specialists at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park were concerned when they noticed cloudiness in the left eye of Leslie, a 3-year-old female western lowland gorilla. Closer inspection confirmed the lens had changed and the left eye was shifting haphazardly, prompting Leslie to favor use of her right eye.
Given Leslie’s young age and developmental stage, Safari Park veterinarians organized a team of internal and external experts, including ophthalmologists and anesthesiologists at UC San Diego Health, to perform the Park’s first-ever cataract surgery on a gorilla.
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Blue Angels Training
