Daily Business Report: Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Long-awaited project to remake Seaport Village
and Embarcadero presented for public inspection
With a more fully baked site plan and an estimated cost of $3.5 billion, the long-awaited Seaport San Diego project from developer 1HWY1 is now available for public examination.
Tuesday, the Port of San Diego released the Seaport San Diego project description, a 167-page document with development specifics and narrative descriptions for each of the project’s seven land blocks and five water zones. The document, which is more than five years in the making, will go before port commissioners at the March 8 board meeting where they’ll get to weigh in on — but not approve — the latest iteration of the mega project that promises to substantially alter the city’s front porch.
“We’re breaking the pencil, as I would call it, and cementing in place the final project,” said Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen, who runs 1HYW1. “It’s a one-of-a-kind, transformational mixed-use project on the water that I truly do believe is going to set the bar for other projects, if not in the United States then in the world.”
TOP PHOTO: The view of the proposed Seaport San Diego project as it would be seen from Bayview Park in Coronado. The perspective shows the project’s 10 new buildings in context with the rest of the downtown skyline. Planning & Design Architect: CRTKL Inc.; Iconic Tower: BIG; Aquarium and Blue Tech Innovation Center: SRA. (Courtesy, Seaport San Diego)
Dianne Feinstein now must decide whether to retire
By Dan Walters | CalMatters Commentary
Whither Dianne Feinstein?
California’s senior U.S. senator, a California political fixture for more than a half-century, was facing a turning point even before her husband, financier and philanthropist Richard Blum, died on Sunday of cancer.
The Senate’s oldest member at 88 and the state’s longest serving senator has clearly fallen out of favor with voters, even her fellow Democrats.
A new poll by UC-Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found that after years of steadily eroding popularity, just 30 percent of the state’s registered voters now approve of her, including just 45 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, 49 percent said they disapproved.
“The five-term senator now receives more negative than positive job ratings from strong liberals, women, voters of color, younger voters, as well as voters in Los Angeles County or the San Francisco Bay Area,” the poll noted.
Petco expands partnership with JustFoodForDogs
Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. announced a dramatic expansion of its partnership with JustFoodForDogs to extend its leadership position in the fast-growing fresh and frozen premium food category, and to better meet rising demand from pet parents.
As part of the expansion, Petco and JustFoodForDogs will co-develop a new human-grade fresh and frozen owned brand pet food for Petco’s WholeHearted line, as well as pilot a custom food program at Petco’s pet care centers.
Currently available in approximately 700 Petco locations nationwide, the JustFoodForDogs offering is planned to expand to more than 1,000 Petco pet care centers by the end of 2022. With the expanded partnership and exclusivity arrangement, Petco will continue to be the only national brick and mortar retailer to offer JustFoodForDogs products in retail stores and online through same-day delivery, buy online, pick up in store, and other online fulfillment options.
Jennifer Haldeman joins Immunicom Inc.
as vice president of commercial operations
Immunicom Inc., a a clinical-stage biotechnology company in San Diego, announced the hiring of Jennifer “J.D.” Haldeman as vice president of commercial operations.
Haldeman brings many decades of executive leadership experience to Immunicom. She has led commercial teams for both private and public companies in the biopharma, diagnostics, and medical device arenas, where she was responsible for launching more than a dozen innovative products.
Haldeman spent the first 10 years of her career with Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis (now Pfizer), where she was elevated over time to lead the US Cardiovascular Marketing Team and a portfolio of products with over $500 million in annual sales.
More recently as VP of marketing at progenity, she led upstream and downstream marketing and corporate communications for the company, which focused on women’s health care and cancer diagnostics.
She was a founder and chief commercial officer of Zogenix Inc., a specialty pharma and medical technology company, recently acquired by UCB.
Women in Data Science San Diego @ USD
Women in Data Science San Diego @ USD will be held virtually on Monday, March 7. The conference will feature presentations and panel discussions highlighting how women in data science are professionally and personally navigating the impact of the pandemic. The presentations and panels will bring together women representing both industry and academia in the San Diego data science community. A goal of the event is to help build a strong, supportive network of data scientists in our region. Andrea Godfrey Flynn, associate professor of marketing, is available to speak about the importance of this event and the importance of women in the data science field. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Plant Based Foods unveils new plant-based
comfort foods at Natural Products Expo
Planet Based Foods, a San Diego-based company that produces plant-based meat with sustainable hemp as its number-one ingredient, will debut its first comfort food products — original and southwest taquitos — at Natural Products EXPO West, March 9-11, 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Planet Based Foods’ newest products represent an expansion into the plant-based convenience category after successfully launching its hemp-based burgers, sausages and crumbles in food service and via planetbasedfoods.com and Vejii.com.
The company’s innovative production process is the first to use hemp seed, along with pea protein and brown rice, to maximize nutrients and fiber in its plant-based meats with zero waste. The brand’s Original Crumble now features as a nutritious, plant-based ingredient in its new taquitos that also use 100 percent vegan cheese.
QDOBA partners with REEF to expand
footprint in three U.S. pilot markets
QDOBA, the fast-casual Mexican restaurant, announced the addition of three pilot locations in Seattle, Austin and Atlanta with REEF, the largest operator of mobility, logistics hubs and neighborhood kitchens in the United States and Canada. Beginning in April, REEF-operated kitchens will help feed the increasing demand for QDOBA’s upgraded menu by making it more widely available to enjoy with a streamlined delivery service.
In these three pilot markets, QDOBA and REEF plan to test up to 25 locations with a goal to expand throughout the U.S. and into international markets over the next two to five years.
Like all QDOBA restaurants, the new REEF locations will offer a menu featuring high-quality ingredients such as freshly chopped veggies, in-house pickled jalapeños, flame-grilled steak and adobo chicken.
Vintage Jaguar that launched racing career
of Denise McCluggage featured at Daytona Beach
The Motorcar Society of Vista announced that the 1956 Jaguar XK140 credited with inspiring the racing career of trailblazing journalist and motorsports icon Denise McCluggage, has arrived in Daytona Beach, Fla. The once-lost, now-found classic car will play a special role in honoring an extraordinary woman who broke gender barriers with legendary charm and merit. McCluggage, who died in 2015, is being inducted posthumously into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 8 alongside a respected field of professionals honored across all American motorsports.
Nicknamed “Lady Leadfoot” by motorsports friends and affectionate rivals alike, McCluggage was a groundbreaking, award-winning journalist known for her fearless ambition, unwavering tenacity and natural athletic ability.
The Motorcar Society was established in 2006 with the aim of preserving automotive history for future generations. TMS founder Barnaby Brokaw helped establish the San Diego Automotive Museum in 1988 as well as the San Diego Historic Races in 1989.
Lumicademy named winner in Globee Awards
Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards
The Globee Awards, organizers of premier business awards programs and business ranking lists, has named Lumicademy of San Diego a winner in the 18th annual 2022 Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards. Lumicademy was recognized for Company Innovation of the Year for tackling the pandemic with innovative ways.
Lumicademy provides educators and their IT administrators, HR and corporate trainers and enterprise businesses the powerful live classroom tools that are created specifically for education and employee training.It provide services to the education sector, private and public companies, as well as government institutions.
“During the pandemic, corporate virtual training has become a must-have for companies in a cross-section of industries, and Lumicademy goes beyond basic security to provide privacy,” said Allen Drennan, co-founder and CTO of Lumicademy.
Unexpected findings detailed in new portrait of HIV
Using powerful tools and techniques developed in the field of structural biology, researchers at the University of Washington and Scripps Research have discovered new details about the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV. The findings bring into focus the basic architecture of the virus just above and below its surface and may help in the design and development of a vaccine that can protect against AIDS.
This research was funded by several National Institutes of Health grants, the James B. Pendleton Charitable Trust and a UW Proteomics Resource grant. A grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also supported portions of this work.
