Daily Business Report-July 22, 2020
Portside Pier will open to the public on July 28. (Photos courtesy of the Port of San Diego)
San Diego Waterfront
The Brigantine’s new Portside Pier brings novel
dining attractions to the North Embarcadero
Portside Pier, the new dining attraction at the San Diego waterfront that was introduced this week, will offer a variety of dining options at different price points when it opens on July 28 —fresh seafood at Brigantine on the Bay, authentic Mexican flavors at Miguel’s Cocina, pub fare at Ketch Grill & Taps, and walk-up service at Portside Coffee & Gelato.
The Port of San Diego and The Brigantine Inc. on Monday celebrated the completion of the new dining attaction at 1360 North Harbor Drive overlooking San Diego Bay along the North Embarcadero.
Besides the dining options at Portside Pear, the public can enjoy panoramic views of San Diego Bay with free access to a second level perimeter walkway and a viewing deck that has tables and seating for up to 108 visitors. There is also a dock and dine to accommodate up to four vessels.
Portside Pier will be the 15th location for the Brigantine family and will be open daily starting Tuesday, July 28. All Portside Pier restaurants will operate under the latest state and county health guidance for restaurants.
“As a local, family-owned company, we could not be more excited for this opportunity. The location and facility are amazing, the offerings are diverse and we’re looking forward to giving San Diegans and visitors the outstanding experience they have come to expect from the Brigantine Restaurants for many years to come,” said Mike Morton Jr., President and CEO of The Brigantine.
The Port selected The Brigantine’s Portside Pier restaurant redevelopment concept for this site after a competitive public process. Pacific Building Group was commissioned for the project. Some of the most notable architectural features include curved steel and zinc shingles on a barrel-shaped roof that resembles a fishing boat, and two stick-framed glass structures stretching 26-feet and 31-feet tall that resemble fishing baskets.
“The opening of the Portside Pier not only delivers public access along the iconic Embarcadero but will also help spark San Diego’s economic recovery amid a global pandemic,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer at Monday’s ribbon cutting. “With hundreds of new jobs coming for one of our hardest hit industries, this opening comes as welcome news.”
Revenues generated by tenants like The Brigantine, along with other real estate and maritime revenues, are reinvested into the Port’s 22 parks, public improvement projects, redevelopment projects, the Harbor Police Department, and more on San Diego Bay and the surrounding waterfront. As part of the Port’s Tenant Percent for Art Program, the Brigantine has given $100,000 to be allocated for future, to-be-determined art along the bayfront.
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County hiring hundreds of case investigators
as COVID-19 infections surge
Times of San Diego
San Diego County public health officials announced the hiring of hundreds of additional case investigators as COVID-19 continued to surge with 453 new cases.
“Our case investigation system has been overwhelmed by the massive increase and very rapid increase in positive cases,” said Supervisor Nathan Fletcher at a media briefing. “We currently have 223 case investigators, and the simple reality is we need a lot more.”
Case investigators make the initial contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, typically completing a two-hour interview. Then the case is turned over to a separate staff of contact tracers to reach those who may have been exposed.
Fletcher said the current team of content tracers is able to keep pace, but the county plans a big increase in case investigators. He said there would be 97 more case investigators at work by Friday, and hiring for 212 more is in the works.
So the county will soon have well over 500 case investigators and a staff of contact tracers that is about half of that size.
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Realtors association releases Alan Nevin’s
2nd quarter economic report for San Diego County
Through its partnership with Alan Nevin, a local San Diego demographic and real estate economist, the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR) has released the second quarter 2020 economic report for San Diego County, including the impact and outlook of the COVID-19 impact on real estate.
In his most recent report, Nevin notes that the inventory of homes for sale continues to run low, particularly for single-family homes under $500,000, which will put additional pressure on the market for condominiums and townhomes. But he adds that things are looking up in other aspects of local real estate.
“I was fearful that many of the pending listings in May might not close, but they did. June was the best closing month this year for (San Diego Realtors),” Nevin said. “Imagine what they would be without COVID. The reality is that prospective homebuyers in San Diego still have jobs and want homes. And July looks like it is going to be equally as strong, going into the month.”
Nevin says it is remarkable that that San Diego has one-third of deaths per million persons than the U.S. as a whole due to COVID-19. “We must be doing something right,” he suggests. While there are many factors in the stark difference in the rate of deaths, Nevin notes in the report that California’s downtowns – particularly San Diego – have less office employment and buildings with elevators compared to a place like Manhattan.
Click here to view the full report.
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Pandemic, economic crises
impact new county budget
COVID-19, the economic crisis and worldwide calls for social justice and racial equality are impacting the county’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2020-21.
The recommended $64.4 billion budget shows an increase of $159 million or 2.5 perent over last year and includes $100 million to fight the COVID-19 public health crisis.
The recommended budget also calls for dipping into the county’s reserves.
The pandemic coupled with the economic downturn are slashing revenue at a time when costs are rapidly rising. Despite these challenges, the county is required by law to balance the budget.
To address major revenue shortfalls and expenditure needs, the county’s budget strategy relies on spending available one-time funds from the County’s General Fund reserves and from balances outside of the General Fund while also slowing down or stopping non-essential services and projects.
The county’s top budgetary priority is battling COVID-19. The Health and Human Services Agency will see an increase of $100 million to reduce the pandemic’s spread and allow for responsible reopening. The funding will go toward efforts tied to responding to COVID-19, including the Testing, Tracing and Treatment Strategy (T3), food distribution, medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and shelter.
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Registration opens for San Diego
Community College District fall semester
Registration is now open for the fall semester at San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges, and San Diego Continuing Education.
San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) — the largest provider of workforce training and education in the region — offers a multitude of pathways to a rewarding career. At $46 per unit, college enrollment fees are among the lowest in the country for a higher education system. Many students attending City, Mesa or Miramar college, however, do not have to pay for tuition, thanks to the San Diego Promise, the California College Promise Grant, and other financial aid opportunities. All San Diego Continuing Education classes are free.
The fall semester at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges runs Aug. 17 to Dec. 14. Classes at San Diego Continuing Education, the largest noncredit program in California, begin Sept. 8. Students can discover their options and register for classes at classschedule.sdccd.edu. Students can visit sdce.edu for more information about San Diego Continuing Education.
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ALS Association to host virtual
2020 ALS Fiesta on Aug. 12
The ALS Association Greater San Diego Chapter will present its 2020 ALS Fiesta, the chapter’s annual major fundraiser, as a virtual online event from 7 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 12. Participation in this year’s ALS Fiesta, the fifth annual, will be free and open to the public. Proceed will benefit the chapter’s services provided to local families living with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
San Diego-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals has been named the presenting sponsor of the 2020 ALS Fiesta. For more event information, visit www.alsasd.org. To donate or ask additional questions, contact Melissa McElvain, associate director of donor engagement, at mmcelvain@alsasd.org or 858-271-5547.
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QDOBA to open its first
restaurant location in Mission Valley
QDOBA Mexican Eats, the fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain, is planning to open its first San Diego restaurant location this fall in Mission Valley, near its corporate headquarters.
Voted as the nation’s best fast-casual restaurant in 2019 and 2020 by USA Today 10Best, QDOBA is known for its flavorful, freshly prepared burritos, bowls, nachos and salads.
QDOBA anticipates the new location will generate 30 new jobs for local area residents. The 2,400-square-foot restaurant will be located at 1620 Camino de la Reina in Park Valley Center, right next to the Mission Valley Center Trolley Station, and is leased from Sihi Properties.
“We’re extremely happy to open up our first location in America’s Finest City—our hometown—and introduce QDOBA to so many new guests,” said Keith Guilbault, CEO of QDOBA Mexican Eats. “At QDOBA, we stand for flavor and we are excited to bring some extra flavor to Mission Valley.”
Founded in 1995, QDOBA is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with more than 730 locations across 47 states and Canada.
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City of Escondido to administer
Small Business Grant Program
The City of Escondido has partnered with the San Diego North Economic Development Council to administer the Small Business Grant Program to support our local businesses. Escondido small businesses are eligible to receive up to $15,000 to help make rent payments, maintain payroll, buy protective equipment such as gloves or wipes, and/or to make physical improvements to the business space to help comply with COVID-19 requirements.
Businesses must be located within the city of Escondido, hold a current city business license, have annual revenues of less than $1 million, and must have experienced COVID-19 related hardships.
All applications received will be ranked and scored by the San Diego North Economic Development Council, which will then recommend awards to the city. Awards are at the discretion of the city of Escondido and will be prioritized according to the city’s adopted economic development and business recovery strategies and availability of funds.
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EDF Renewables to design, build
and operate integrated energy system
EDF Renewables North America announced an agreement with Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and San Diego-based CollectiveSun to design, build, and operate an integrated energy system consisting of rooftop and carport solar, storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging.
The integrated system consists of 847 kilowatt solar photovoltaic; 800 kWp/1,805 kilowatt hour onsite behind-the-meter battery storage; and 50 smart EV charging stations to be installed at the Sanford Burnham Prebys campus in La Jolla.
The integrated solar carport and battery energy storage system will be operated by EDF Store and Forecast Energy Management System.
The EV charging system will be installed by PowerFlex using its Adaptive Load Management technology. This patented technology, developed out of Caltech, maximizes the delivery of power to electric vehicles while reducing or eliminating the need for costly utility upgrades by managing charging dependent upon driver’s demand, building load, onsite generation.
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Guaranteed Rate names Zoë Khetani
a VP of mortgage lending in San Diego
Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the country, has named Zoë Khetani as a vice president of mortgage lending in San Diego, specializing in veteran lending.
Khetani joins the Guaranteed Rate team with over 10 years of mortgage and real estate industry experience. She specializes in serving veterans and first-time homebuyers, working hard to help them make informed and educated decisions while achieving homeownership.
“I am passionate about educating and helping people achieve their dreams of homeownership and showing them how simple the process can be,” said Khetani. “Being part of the Guaranteed Rate family enables me to use innovative mortgage tools and products to provide a seamless and enjoyable experience for my customers.”
In her previous role, Khetani consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top loan officers. She brings her expertise to Guaranteed Rate to help more clients and veterans throughout the California market.
