Daily Business Report-Feb. 3, 2021
Rendering of the Eclipse townhomes to be built in Escondido.
IHP Capital Partners acquires Escondido
property for development of 113 townhomes
IHP Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm, announced the acquisition of 4.9-acres of unimproved land in Escondido for the development of 113 three-story townhomes. The purchase price was not disclosed.
IHP partnered with California West Communities, a San Diego-based residential land developer and homebuilding company, in their eleventh joint venture to bring the new community, named Eclipse, to North County.
The residences at Eclipse will range in size from 1,143 to 1,578 square feet. Floorplans will feature two to four bedrooms and a two-car, direct access garage. Twenty-nine of Eclipse’s townhomes will offer four-bedroom layouts. Amenities include a recreation center with a swimming pool and jacuzzi in addition to a tot lot.
The Eclipse homes will be priced below the County of San Diego Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limit, allowing prospective buyers to qualify for FHA financing. The project is currently in the early stages of development with groundbreaking planned for the first quarter 2021. Sales are anticipated to open in early 2022.
__________________________________________________
Vista completes six-year
downtown transformation project
After decades of planning, six years of construction and $20.2 million in spending, Vista’s long-awaited Paseo Santa Fe improvement project is finally complete.
Since the Paseo project kicked off in May 2014, the corridor has undergone a massive renovation that included the undergrounding of utility lines, narrowing of the road from four lanes to two, two new roundabout traffic circles, new sidewalks, streetlights and landscaping, a veterans memorial park, public art pieces and two arched “Vista” monument signs at either end of the Paseo roadway area.
The project was completed in December.
Fourth San Diego County Vaccination
Super Station opens in La Mesa
The County of San Diego’s fourth COVID-19 Vaccination Super Station has opened at the Grossmont Center Mall, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, Ste 212, in La Mesa, while a Point of Distribution starts operations at the San Ysidro Southwestern College.
The Sharp HealthCare Grossmont Center Super Station will be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., vaccinating up to 2,000 people a day. Sharp is providing 40 volunteers to staff 10 registration desks and 20 vaccination stations. The walk-thru clinic is located in the former Charlotte Russe store. Reservations are required and can be made at vaccinationsuperstationsd.com.
Sharp is the first health care provider to operate two Super Stations. The Grossmont Center walk-thru will replace and expand the site Sharp HealthCare had been operating on Wakarusa St. Appointments made for that site transfer to the super station at the mall.
General Atomics acquires Tiger Innovations Inc.
General Atomics has acquired Tiger Innovations Inc., a leader in the development of spacecraft and space related systems in Herndon, Va. Its business will be integrated into the General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) group. Tiger Innovations’ cutting-edge advancements in satellite systems and extensive experience in custom hardware and software implementation complement GA-EMS’ portfolio of advanced space systems and technologies, according to the acquisition announcement.
“Acquiring Tiger Innovations strengthens our space systems capabilities,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “With this acquisition, we expand our footprint in northern Virginia and now have a robust coast-to-coast space systems development infrastructure, increasing our ability to deliver comprehensive solutions of any scale on-orbit and on time.”
Founded in 1997, Tiger Innovations is a high technology company with a range of experience in specialty software, hardware, and computer architecture design and implementation.
New business license applications skyrocket
CalMatters
Applications for new business licenses rose nearly 22 perentr in California in 2020, according to a U.S. Census Bureau analysis — a reminder of Californians’ resiliency and innovation even as pandemic closures drive thousands of small businesses to shut down permanently and unemployment to tick up.
The economic devastation has hit small businesses owned by people of color and women particularly hard, but some Californians are finding new opportunity amid the wreckage, CalMatters’ Laurence du Sault reports.
After Hilda Medina lost her $300-a-week job as a babysitter at a Contra Costa daycare, she began selling sugar- and gluten-free breads online — and is now making up to $1,200 weekly.
Medina: “If there hadn’t been this pandemic I would never have dreamed I’d be able to do this. To make more money, and with my own business?”
__________________________________________________
Groundbreaking set for Cuyamaca
College Student Services Building
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Thursday for Cuyamaca College’s new Student Services Building at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in El Cajon. Construction cost is estimated at $34.2 million.
The Student Services Building and Central Park improvements will include a three-story, 36,000-square-foot building that will centralize all student services departments, including Counseling, Financial Aid, Admissions, Disability Support Programs and Services, Extended Opportunities Programs and Services and CalWORKS.
Gafcon is project manager for the project, HMC is the architect and Soltek Pacific is the builder. Completion is set for summer 2022.
__________________________________________________
San Diego Law Library’s executive board presented
The San Diego Law Library presents its executive board for 2021.
President: City Attorney Mara Elliott. She was elected to serve a third consecutive term as president of the board of trustees.
Vice President: Carla DiMare, an experienced civil trial attorney and trained mediator. She also is a social justice lawyer.
Secretary: Jeffrey D. Cawdrey, partner in Gordon & Rees’s San Diego office and national co-chair of its Bankruptcy, Restructuringf & Creditors’ Rights practice group.
Treasurer: Lorena Slomanson, director of development with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego.
Other Law Library board members: David M. Gill, Julia C. Kelety, Desiree A. Bruce-Lyle, Rachel Cano, Maryann D’Addezio.
Universal Engineering Sciences
acquires Construction Testing & Engineering Inc.
Universal Engineering Sciences, a nationwide leader in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting, has acquired Construction Testing & Engineering Inc. (CTE), one of Southern California’s leading engineering firms providing geotechnical, environmental and civil engineering; survey; construction inspection and materials testing services to development and construction communities.
CTE has 150 employees, with locations in San Diego, Escondido, Chula Vista, Riverside and Ventura/Oxnard, strengthening UES’s presence in California. UES recently acquired Wallace-Kuhl & Associates in Northern California and operates an office in Irvine.
Sony Electronics earns top marks
in LGBTQ workplace equality
San Diego-based Sony Electronicsannounced its score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.
Sony Electronics has earned top marks each year since 2016 and has been recognized by CEI annually since 2011. The company joins the ranks of 767 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.
“I’m extremely proud of our team for once again earning this important recognition—and top score—from the Human Rights Campaign,” said Mike Fasulo, president and COO of Sony Electronics. “We actively support a diverse work environment where employees are celebrated for their unique differences, perspectives and experiences, which, when taken together—make us stronger and more effective as an organization.”
Sony promotes diversity by ensuring an inclusive work environment, and by recruiting, hiring, training and promoting employees from diverse backgrounds. After an extensive review of Sony Electronics’ policies, practices and engagement, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation determined Sony Electronics is an inclusive company that meets or exceeds the organization’s dynamic requirements.
Lodging Dynamics expands to San Diego
with 2 contemporary hotels
Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group, a Utah-based hotel management company, added the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayside to its portfolio Jan. 29. The Downtown/Bayside campus features 204 modern Hilton Garden Inn hotel rooms and 160 Homewood Suites, featuring full-service kitchens.
Victoria Cramer, president of Lodging Dynamics said, “We love the Southern California market, and we look forward to leading the team at this beautiful San Diego property.”
Bordering Little Italy, the campus offers guests access to the neighborhood’s art galleries, shops, pubs and cafés. Waterfront Park, San Diego Maritime Museum and downtown are all within walking distance.
SeaCrest Facilities Services completes
merger with Sunset Commercial Services
SeaCrest Facility Services LLC and Sunset Commercial Services have completed a strategic alliance/merger. SeaCrest Facility Services will be the parent company while both companies will remain, keeping all employees and management intact.
The merger will result in a larger footprint, stronger support and additional services within Southern California. The combined companies will have offices in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Inland Empire, Ventura County and Northern California. This will also help facilitate future growth and stability, particularly during this unknown environment with Covid-19.
“This merger between two quality service providers expands our collective footprint in the West Coast. Both companies have the same values, customer service, integrity and experience. It will be exciting to see our collective footprint grow and help even more facilities,” said Raul Gonzalez, president of Seacrest Facilities Services.
Kirk Bolduc, president of Sunset Commercial, said, “We are really excited about the merger, it will help us service the growing demand in the industry. Whether it is a large apartment complex, commercial real estate or retail center, we are able to serve them at an increased capacity.”
In addition, the new enterprise will be implementing new industry specific proprietary systems, which will provide stronger support in quality controls and project management efforts.
