Daily Business Report-April 12, 2021
Redevelopment plan for Midway District hits a glitch
Regulations in a state law governing how and when cities can make public land available for private development could complicate, delay, or even return redevelopment of the former Sports Arena back to square one.
In 2019, the state Legislature passed AB 1486, which specified that a public agency must first offer surplus municipal property to other public agencies or affordable housing developers first, before selling it privately.
In August 2020, a city selection committee picked a proposal by Brookfield Properties and ASM Global to redevelop the former Sports Arena property in the Midway District. Brookfield and ASM plan to transform the 48-acre site into a vibrant community with public parks, new homes, office space, and a modern entertainment venue generating approximately 3,200 jobs and an annual economic impact of more than $300 million.
A city spokeswoman said there is no intention to issue a new request for proposals at this time.
PHOTO CAPTION: An artist’s rendering of the proposal by Brookfield Properties and ASM Global to redevelop the Sports Arena property.
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ETHA Natural Botanicals launches Kratom tablet access product
ETHA Natural Botanicals (ETHA) has announced the launch of Original Brand Manufacturing, a product, labeling and distribution development that enables Kratom retailers across the U.S. to access its proprietary best-selling Kratom tablets with wrap-around solutions.
ETHA tablets are considered the gold standard of Kratom manufacturing due to the company’s high-quality products and labeling transparency. Through OBM, ETHA uses its R & D and testing methods to deliver tailored products and packaging solutions to help small businesses expedite time to market with the highest quality products and labeling.
“The team at ETHA offers a depth of knowledge to help smaller players move forward into the mainstream rather than smoke shops. The transparency and tablet quality we provide help combat misinformation and further legitimize the industry with consumers and retailers, Alex Karp, one of ETHA’s co-founders, said.
Co-founder Victor Chung added that since “establishing our OBM model and beta testing with a few choice clients, we realized we’re helping small businesses in the Kratom industry re-emerge from the pandemic with an improved marketing strategy, better product selection and better packaging that is a better fit for higher tier retail outlets.
“We’re also helping to educate the public about misinformation distributed by politicians and large pharmaceutical lobbyists, who see Kratom as disruptive to their business. We will continue to advocate on policy and improving self-regulation within the industry to make Kratom more readily available as a natural remedy for pain and self care.”
ETHA is a San Diego-based business with a mission to deliver an extraordinary all-natural botanical product and extraordinary experience to its customers. It can be reached via email at: support@ethalivefully.com, or by phone at (800) 862-0341.
San Diego City Council approves deal to market Get It Done software
The San Diego City Council ha approved an agreement that allows the sale of the city’s Get It Done software to other cities and government agencies who wish to use the software to help streamline requests for services from their residents.
The three-year marketing agreement between Deloitte and the city allows the sale of the City’s Get It Done software, built on the Salesforce platform, to other cities and organizations. Depending on the number of sales, this could provide more than $1 million in additional revenue to the city.
The Get It Done website and mobile app were launched in May 2016 with the goal of making it easier for residents to request city services or report issues in their neighborhoods. Today, the program includes 24 different internal functional areas and dozens of services including case management, container sales and inventory, code enforcement, inspections and work order management, among others.
MTS board approves $125 million capital improvement program
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Board of Directors has unanimously approved $125 million for the FY 2022 Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
The MTS CIP receiving the most funding in FY 2022 are:
• Funding for new low-floor Trolleys — $28.5 million.
• Funding for 32 40-foot Compressed Natural Gas Buses, 10 minibuses and five (5) Zero Emission Buses — $42.2 million.
• Funding for 11 60-foot Zero Emission Buses for the Iris Rapid project — $15.6 million.
• Funding for design and station infrastructure for Iris Rapid; and overhead charging infrastructure to support the new route — $12.1 million.
• Funding for the new fare collection system, PRONTO — $3.3 million.
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines across 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego County. Frequencies and spans have been restored to near-pre-COVID-19 levels.
SDG&E seeks applications for Environmental Champions grant program
San Diego Gas & Electric Co. is inviting applications for its 11th annual Environmental Champions grant program, an initiative funded by shareholder dollars to support the work of local nonprofit organizations engaged in wide-ranging environmental protection and education efforts. For the first time, the program has set aside additional funds specifically for a new tree planting initiative.
The company invites qualified organizations to apply for program funding that supports climate action in one or more of the following areas: urban greening, climate literacy and clean transportation. Priority will be given to programs that serve low-income, diverse and underserved communities. Grant applications will be accepted online through April 30.
SDG&E designated an additional $500,000 this year to fund urban greening projects, with an emphasis on tree planting.
To learn how to apply for funding, click here.
Mary Pampuch named president of Lankford & Associates
Lankford & Associates Inc. has named Mary Pampuch as president of the San Diego-based company. Pampuch has served as the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, and has been involved on 2.4 million square feet of development deals worth approximately $950 million.
A true industry veteran, her deep experience stretches across all aspects of real estate development and property management including lease negotiations, lease administration, CEQA processing, construction management, project entitlement, environmental remediation and restoration of environmentally sensitive habitats. She will continue to serve as COO.
Alongside Founder and CEO Rob Lankford, Pampuch has overseen many of San Diego’s biggest urban and suburban development projects to date including the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in La Jolla Torrey Pines, Smart Corner residences, the Hall of Justice in Downtown San Diego.
Pampuch received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix –San Diego and holds an associate degree from Western Wisconsin Technical College.
Google doubles San Diego office space
Google, which first opened a satellite office in San Diego five years ago, has doubled its local office space to occupy an entire Alexandria Real Estate-owned building in Sorrento Valley, mirroring other big tech firms’ moves to tap the region’s tech talent pool. The San Diego expansion is part of a larger pledge to invest more than $1 billion in California sites to spur economic recovery.
SeaWorld to reopen full park, coasters after 13-month closure
SeaWorld will reopen its thrill rides and coasters today, marking the first time they will be accessible to visitors in more than a year. Although SeaWorld’s animal exhibits have been opened since February under separate state guidelines for zoos, San Diego County’s recent move to Orange Tier will allow the park to open at 25 percent capacity for California residents.
Southwest Airlines launches scholarship for diverse talent
EDC investor Southwest Airlines recently launched a one-year scholarship to build a diverse talent pipeline and highlight the importance of inclusion in the airline industry. The scholarship is open to all students with a demonstrated interest in the airline industry who are enrolled at accredited vocational, community college or undergraduate institutions. Applications close May 13, 2021.
Chula Vista Police Department’s drone program expanding across country
In Chula Vista Police Department’s drone program, the first in the country to receive Federal Aviation Administration approval to go where no cop has gone before, police have been given permission to fly drones through the entire city as part of their effort to turn unmanned aerial vehicles into first responders.
This new model of policing is now expanding into cities across the country thanks in large part to Chula Vista’s PR prowess and connections in law enforcement.
San Diego airport works with local tech company to monitor airport behavior
Honeywell Building Technologies is working with San Diego International Airport’s accelerator program to test the use of advanced video analytics technology to track and monitor airport behavior.
The accelerator program — the San Diego International Airport Innovation Lab — is helping test Honeywell’s advanced video analytics technology in a real airport environment through early summer. Following a pilot program, Honeywell may go into contract negotiations with the San Diego Country Regional Airport Authority to use the technology throughout the airport.
“Our hope is these ideas that advance here at SAN will work at airports around the world,” said Gina Jacobs, the airport’s innovation program manager.
Honeywell’s program offers “intelligent loitering detection and zone- based, real-time monitoring,” providing an accurate way to count people entering or exiting a space, standing in a crowd or sitting in public areas.
