Daily Business Report: Friday, April 8, 2022
Major renovations, security upgrades
set for The Orchard Apartments
by Dave Schwab | San Diego Community News
A new long-term lease has been signed for The Orchard Apartments in the Midway District and tenants in the sprawling, 563-apartment complex were informed by management that security is going to be beefed up and that major renovations will include a new clubhouse.
On March 31, Michael Drogin, president of Central Management Inc. and managing general partner of The Orchard, addressed residents of the seniors’ complex. The property has increasingly been plagued by problems with theft and homeless people wandering unescorted through the premises, which presently has unrestricted access.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about the homeless, the unsheltered, and the associated impact it’s having on our community,” said Drogin. “I’m here to find solutions. We all want the same thing: a secure, safe community for all of you.”
Noting the City owns the property, which is leased, Drogin said: “We just renewed the lease for another 50 years, which I’m very excited about. It allows us to address many of these issues that we’re talking about. And it can’t come soon enough.”
Flock Freight named an Innovator in
TIME100 Most Influential Companies list
Solana Beach-based Flock Freight has been named an Innovator in TIME’s list of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies, based on its work over the last year to bring efficiency and sustainability to the global supply chain.
Companies sometimes need to ship less than a full truckload’s worth of stuff. But rather than sending shipments on partially filled vehicles, Flock Freight’s platform enables multiple clients to share space on one truck, which means cheaper prices and fewer emissions. “We’ve got to do our part to save the world,” says founder and CEO Oren Zaslansky, who counts Volvo among his clients. What’s good for the planet appears to be good for business: Flock Freight gained unicorn status in October by raising $215 million at a $1.3 billion valuation.
Navy to name new NASSCO ship
after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
by Chris Jennewein | Times of San Diego
The Navy plans to name a ship on order at NASSCO after late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in honor of her advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality.
The future USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg will the 8th fleet oiler in the John Lewis class.
The 750-foot-long vessel to be built in Barrio Logan will provide underway replenishment of fuel and cargo to allow Navy warships to operate worldwide.
“She is a historic figure who vigorously advocated for women’s rights and gender equality,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in a statement on Thursday.
Development will transform former hotel
into 175 affordable apartments for seniors
Seniors age 62 and older who have low income will have 175 new affordable housing opportunities in Rancho Bernardo upon the completion of a new development in collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), which celebrated its ceremonial groundbreaking this week.
Tizon development will provide 175 studio apartments for seniors with income up to 60 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, currently $50,940 per year for a one-person household. Developed by Affirmed Housing, the apartments at Tizon will remain affordable for 55 years. The property also will include three unrestricted managers’ units.
A former hotel property, Tizon will include an extensive community room with game area, TV lounge and community kitchen. Additional planned features includes an urban garden area, property management and social service offices; a computer room for residents; and a food preparation area for residents. An existing large laundry room on the first floor will continue to operate as the community’s laundry room.
New study: Environmental policies
give preference to white neighborhoods
Asian and Hispanic communities experience significantly more air pollution from economic activity compared to predominantly white neighborhoods across the state of California, according to new research from the University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.
The study published in the journal Nature Sustainability suggests California’s environmental regulations as a whole preferentially protect white, non-Hispanic people within the state from exposure to air pollution.
The study focused on 2020 when the state issued shelter-in-place orders in response to COVID-19. The researchers compared patterns of air pollution both before and during the shutdown, using data from public and privately-owned air monitor networks, along with satellite measurements of the pollutant gas nitrogen dioxide. After considering various factors, even how much communities were sheltering-in-place, the researchers found that during the period when the “in-person” economy was shut down, neighborhoods with high Asian and Hispanic populations experienced disproportionately large declines in air pollution. That means the inverse is true when it’s business as usual.
The Snapdragon Pro Series has arrived
Brought to you by ESL Gaming and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the Snapdragon Pro Series welcomes players and fans to the “Era of Everyone.” Both aspiring mobile gamers and veteran esports athletes from around the world are invited to compete in the three tiers of competition: Snapdragon Mobile Open, Snapdragon Mobile Challenge, and Snapdragon Mobile Masters.
“The Snapdragon Pro Series gives players in multiple regions, at all levels, a chance to become a champion and compete for a share of more than $2 million in prize money,” said Kevin Rosenblatt, general manager, mobile at ESL Gaming. “The mobile ecosystem we are building with Snapdragon Elite Gaming will span multiple genres, with titles that are relevant in the core regions: North America (NA), Europe (EUR), the Middle-East & North Africa (MENA), China, Asia-Pacific (AP), and India.”
Each region will feature its own set of game titles, with tournaments starting as early as April 12, 2022. With sign ups now LIVE anyone in our supported regions can participate in various mobile game titles.
Scientists studying cells in space for early cancer detection
UC San Diego, the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and the JM Foundation, in collaboration with Axiom Space, is sending the first bioreactors with cancer organoids that detect activation of cancer stem cell properties in real-time into low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS), part of an unprecedented private astronaut mission dubbed Axiom Mission 1 or Ax-1.
Cancer stem cells are a subpopulation of tumor cells that drive growth and relapse. They are often resistant to treatment. Organoids are tiny, self-organized, three-dimensional cell cultures that replicate much of the complexity of an organ or, in this case, tumor tissue.
Leveraging accelerated aging aspects of microgravity, Ax-1 crew will document biological changes in the tumor organoids, using a high-resolution microscope to monitor cell cycle activity over the course of the 10-day mission. The purpose is to identify biomarkers for early detection, interventional leads and lay the groundwork for future cancer stem cell research in space.
The multinational Ax-1 crew are all private citizens. They will travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for today at 11:17 a.m. EDT, weather and conditions permitting.
Cal State San Marcos receives two
more grants from Prebys Foundation
Cal State San Marcos has received two grants totaling almost $250,000 from The Conrad Prebys Foundation to support the university’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem and to help provide immersive virtual reality training to students.
The gifts build on one of a similar size that CSUSM received last year from The Conrad Prebys Foundation, the largest charitable organization in San Diego County. The 2021 grant, the first ever given to CSUSM from the foundation, was used to build out the university’s Innovation Hub, which is holding its grand opening on April 5.
Consumer science and engineering researchers
assemble first complete human genome
Two decades after the Human Genome Project produced a draft sequence, an international research team, including University of California San Diego computer scientists, has published the first complete genome. The work was done by the Telomere to Telomere consortium, and six papers describing the project will be published April 1 in a special edition of Science.
The team from UC San Diego’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering contributed to two of the papers: Complete genomic and epigenetic maps of human centromeres and The complete sequence of a human genome. The second pulls together the many strands of research that went into completing the project.
Targeting a human protein may
stop Ebola virus in its tracks
To treat Ebola virus infections, researchers are taking a close look at a key piece of the virus: polymerase.
Polymerase is a viral protein that directs how Ebola virus replicates its genome as it infects new hosts. Drugs that target polymerase could potentially treat Ebola virus infections and save lives.
Now scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Scripps Research have found a promising strategy for stopping Ebola virus polymerase. The researchers discovered that Ebola virus polymerase hijacks a cellular protein called GSPT1. Their investigation reveals that an experimental drug that targets GSPT1 for degradation can also halt Ebola virus infection in human cells.
City of San Diego receives high
grades for sewer revenue bonds
Two credit ratings agencies have given the City of San Diego’s sewer revenue bonds high grades, a positive sign as the City moves forward on making important upgrades and rehabilitating its sewer system infrastructure.
Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings have both assigned “AA” ratings to approximately $158 million subordinate sewer revenue bonds, issued by the city’s Public Facilities Financing Authority.
In addition, S&P Global Ratings affirmed its “AA+” long-term rating on the authority’s senior sewer revenue refunding bonds issued for the wastewater system. Fitch has affirmed the rating on senior sewer revenue bonds at “AA.”
All bond proceeds will be used to finance sewer system capital improvement projects citywide.
The proceeds are expected to fund existing and new wastewater capital expenditures from July 2020 to December 2022, including rehabilitation projects for core sewer infrastructure like pipelines, trunk sewers, treatment plants and pump stations.
Autonomy continues expansion with
EV subscription in San Diego
Electric vehicle subscription company Autonomy continues to expand its services in California, adding the San Diego market to its coverage area. Autonomy had a successful commercial launch in Los Angeles in January, adding service in the San Francisco Bay Area in March, and in a short time, it has drawn hundreds of active subscribers to its service.
With new pricing announced in March, Autonomy’s monthly subscription costs less than Tesla’s own leasing or loan plans.
Subscribers can reserve a Model 3 via Autonomy’s app or website and a $100 refundable deposit. A payment dial allows customers to personalize subscriptions from as low as $490 per month with an initial $4,900 payment, to $1,000 per month with an initial $1,000 payment. A $500 refundable security deposit is required when the subscription is activated.
Autonomy’s monthly payments cover the traditional costs of ownership, including annual registration and licensing fees, routine maintenance, roadside assistance, and wear and tear on tires, which are all additional expenses with a traditional lease or loan.
Dalrada Corp. expands technology division
with acquisition of Deposition Technology
Dalrada Corporation has acquired Deposition Technology Ltd. as the company continues its growth within the global technology and clean energy sectors. The move is expected to strengthen Dalrada Energy Services as the division pursues innovation and the modernization of energy efficient products and services, including heat pumps, and allows Likido Green Energy to achieve further expansion.
Formed in 2004, DepTec operates globally, providing manufacturing equipment and services from its facilities in Livingston, Scotland, and through its sales and finance offices located in Devon, England.
DepTec said it is uniquely well positioned to expand its market share in the semiconductor industry during a time of unprecedented growth (currently approaching $200 billion) due to the worldwide shortage of microchips.
