Daily Business Report: Friday, March 11, 2022
Brookfield Properties shows off its stunning
makeover of regional headquarters in East Village
Brookfield Properties’ regional headquarters in East Village is a stunning example of what can be done to bring an historic, 105-year-old building into the modern age with all the technological additions and space requirements for its more than 100 employees. The real estate developer and operator accomplished that with a makeover that cost nearly $2 million.
Located at 733 Eighth Ave, Eagles Hall was constructed in 1917 with a Greek neoclassical revival exterior design. After serving a variety of uses and several decades of vacancy, the property was renovated in 1997 to serve as the home of development firm OliverMcMillan.
In February 2018, Brookfield Properties acquired OliverMcMillan. Two years later, it acquired San Diego-based Newland, a nationally respected masterplan homebuilder.
The Eagles Hall office was reworked to meet today’s workplace needs and flexibility. The project included the demolition of inefficient, large offices and storage areas to create an open work environment and the addition of new conference and lounge areas to promote collaboration.
To handle an increased virtual and technology-backed world, the entire space has been outfitted with the latest audio-visual and information technology infrastructure.
“Brookfield Properties is committed to building on its local legacy and preparing for a promising future ahead in San Diego,” said Ted Lohman, vice president at Brookfield Properties. “As we continue to build our pipeline of projects and expand our local team, our reimagined workplace will help position us for long-term success and an even deeper connection to our community.”
TOP PHOTO: The interior of Brookfield Properties’ regional headquarters on Eighth Avenue in East Village.
California gets EPA approval to set car emission
limits stricter than the federal government’s
Cal Matters
It’s full speed ahead for zero-emission cars in California.
The Golden State got the green light Wednesday to proceed with its nation-leading clean car program after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reinstated a waiver reaffirming its decades-old authority to set emission limits stricter than the federal government’s — setting the stage for California to develop auto emission rules to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of eliminating new gas-powered cars by 2035.
The move wasn’t a surprise — President Joe Biden had long hinted at plans to to reverse the Trump administration’s decision to block California from setting its own tailpipe pollution standards for cars and light trucks.
And although California had continued to set its own standards even without the waiver, the stakes surrounding gasoline-powered cars have heightened in recent weeks.
California is reeling from the highest gas prices in the nation — Wednesday’s average price was $5.58 per gallon, up 14 cents from the day before and an all-time high when not accounting for inflation — and oil industry groups are increasing pressure on Newsom and state lawmakers to ramp up the state’s oil production in the wake of a U.S. ban on imports from Russia.
Cal State San Marcos alumna boosts
accounting program with $50,000 gift
By Brian Hiro
During her improbable climb from a poor girl growing up in China to a partner at one of the largest accounting firms in America, Annie Norviel can point to many significant milestones along the way.
One of the foundational ones from her perspective was her time at Cal State San Marcos, where as a new mother, she earned an accounting degree and developed the skills that allowed her to find a good job soon after graduation and advance quickly in her career.
Now, Norviel is emulating the many people who showed her kindness and compassion on her journey, and is giving back to others. The 2008 alumna has made her first gift to CSUSM a big one – a $50,000 endowed scholarship that will support accounting majors during their time in the program.
“Whenever I make a donation to an organization that I support, it gives me the most rewarding feeling,” said Norviel, who’s a partner and certified public accountant at Moss Adams, which is based in Seattle but has offices throughout the country, including in San Diego.
“Without the education I received at CSUSM, I wouldn’t have been able to meet with and work for a firm like Moss Adams. I wanted that kind of experience to be shared by more people.”
Norviel’s generosity is proving to be doubly beneficial, too. Moss Adams, the company she has worked for since the year she graduated and a longstanding partner of CSUSM, chose to match the donation with a $50,000 gift of its own to the accounting department.
Dept. of Labor investigation of zip-line worker’s
fatal flaw finds workplace safety failures
A federal workplace safety investigation found that a 34-year-old worker’s fatal fall might have been prevented had the operator of a Pauma Valley zip-line attraction implemented required safety measures.
A U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation of the Oct. 30, 2021, incident determined that, after grabbing a zip-line harness on a customer to steady them as they landed on the tower platform, the worker and the customer were both pulled off the zip-line tower. The worker let go of the harness and fell about 50 feet to the valley floor.
Inspectors found La Jolla Zip Zoom Ziplines failed to install a guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest system. The company also did not train employees on fall hazards and how to recognize them, as required. Additionally, OSHA determined that the company failed to assess the workplace to determine the presence of hazards and did not report a work-related hospitalization within 24 hours.
OSHA cited the company for four serious safety violations and proposed $24,861 in penalties.
“La Jolla Zip Zoom Ziplines failed to meet their obligation to protect their employees,” OSHA Area Director Derek Engard in San Diego. “If they had simply provided the proper protective equipment, this senseless tragedy could have been prevented.”
Court rejects 3,000-home Fanita Ranch
project proposed for City of Santee
Citing wildfire concerns, a judge ruled against a 3,000-home development proposed for the City of Santee. The Fanita Ranch project would be built on more than 2,600 acres of fire-prone hillsides north of the city that serve as habitat for the coastal California gnatcatcher, western spadefoot toad and other rare species.
The ruling found that the city’s environmental review of the project was inadequate. The San Diego Superior Court held that the city did not adequately disclose how the development would affect wildfire evacuations and safety in the surrounding community.
“The court understood that in this never-ending fire season, developers can’t hide a project’s wildfire and community safety risks from the public,” said Peter Broderick, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is absolutely the right decision to protect the people and wildlife who call Santee home. This project should never have been approved, and officials across California need to stop letting sprawl drive up fire threats.”
In 2020 the Center, Preserve Wild Santee, Endangered Habitats League and California Chaparral Institute sued the city of Santee for violating the California Environmental Quality Act when it approved the development.
European Studies faculty restructures
courses for open dialogue on Ukraine
San Diego State University scholars and experts on issues of war, Russia, and Ukraine have made a pivot in their course materials to bring students critical and timely conversations about the war on Ukraine.
In the College of Arts and Letters, Daria Shembel, Russian studies director and adviser, and European studies program director Emily Schuckman-Matthews, have both restructured their syllabi to help students contextualize and understand the war as well as work through the wide range of emotions they are feeling.
In Russian studies courses, Shembel discusses the modern history of Ukraine and the history of Russia-Ukrainian relations since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the falsehoods used by the Kremlin to justify the war, the annexation of Crimea and War in Donbas of 2014, and the shift to total authoritarianism in today’s Russia.
In European studies courses, Schuckman-Matthews has replaced the regularly scheduled syllabus to have an open dialogue about the war while also offering a semi-structured lecture informing students of historical and contemporary dynamics in the relationship between Russia and Ukraine.
Port of San Diego adds 14 electric vehicles to fleet
The Board of Port Commissioners has approved the purchase of 14 electric vehicles (EVs) from National Auto Fleet Group. The approximately $820,000 purchase supports the Port’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS) and its vision of “Health Equity for All.” The purchase is being funded through the Port’s Economic Recovery Program established to designate and track federal stimulus funds the Port has received via the American Rescue Plan Act and the State of California’s Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund.
“The purchase of these electric vehicles shows we take the health of those who live, work and play on and near the waterfront seriously,” said Port Commission Chairman Dan Malcolm. “We will continue to work to preserve the bountiful resources San Diego Bay offers so future generations can enjoy its benefits.”
The new state-of-the-art EVs – ten medium-duty pickup trucks and four vans – will replace gas or diesel-powered vehicles and kick off the Port’s conversion to a zero emissions fleet. They are anticipated to be delivered by spring 2023.
Sycuan Casino Resort’s Retreat Pool & Cabanas
opens March 25 for the 2022 season
Sycuan Casino Resort’s pool venue, Retreat Pool & Cabanas, will officially open on Friday, March 25 for the 2022 pool season. Retreat will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for hotel guests and a limited number of day passes will be available for purchase online and on-site at the Retreat hostess stand.
Retreat features an expansive pool deck with two pools, a swim-up bar, lazy river, hot tub, daybeds, cabanas, poolside gaming, spa treatments and a full-service Pool Bar & Grill. The Pool Bar & Grill menu features seasonal bites and a full bar serving everything from fresh mojitos, margaritas to champagne-infused cocktails.
Retreat’s popular poolside entertainment and events are slated to return later in the season, including Night Swim on Saturdays, Industry Mondays, Dip Day Club and The River. More details about these upcoming events will be announced soon.
Spirit Airlines to add nonstop flights
between Oakland and San Diego
Sprint Airlines will add nonstop service between Oakland, via Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, and San Diego International Airport beginning May 25. This is the first new route Spirit Airlines has added in San Diego since 2017.
“We appreciate Spirit Airlines growing their service at SAN and providing another option for San Diegans to get to the Bay Area,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO.
Flights will operate between Oakland and San Diego once daily. Spirit Airlines also offers year-round nonstop service from San Diego to Las Vegas via Harry Reid International Airport and summer seasonal service to Dallas/Fort Worth via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Houston via George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Chicago via Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and Detroit via Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
$12 million multi-institute grant
awarded to improve hemophilia therapy
A multi-institute research collaboration including Sanford Burnham Prebys has just received a $12 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to improve hemophilia therapy. The award will fund three projects that could lead to safer and potentially curative treatments for the disorder.
One of these projects will be led by Randal J. Kaufman, who directs the Degenerative Diseases Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Hemophilia is an X-linked genetic condition that prevents the blood from clotting properly. It occurs in about one out of 5,000 male births. In patients with severe forms of the disease, internal or external bleeding can be life threatening.
Viasat joins with 5 commercial airline
customers to support gender equality
Carlsbad-based Viasat Inc. has partnered with five of its global airline customers—Aeromexico, Azul, Delta Air Lines, Icelandair and Neos—to support UN Women by driving awareness towards “gender equality today for a sustainable future tomorrow” in the context of the commemoration of International Women’s Day.
Throughout the month of March 2022, Viasat and each of the participating airlines will make content from UN Women accessible to connected passengers while in-flight. This International Women’s Day, UN Women will amplify their call for the recognition of women and girls as leaders and change-makers implementing sustainability initiatives worldwide. They will also call for greater involvement and inclusion of women and girls in decision-making, design and implementation of durable solutions for the future of our planet.
