Daily Business Report: Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022
Midway Rising development team gets mayor’s nod
to redevelop Sport Arena property in Midway District
Times of San Diego
Midway Rising, a development team led by Carlsbad-based Chelsea Investment Corp., has been elevated to frontrunner by Mayor Todd Gloria in the competition to redevelop the Sport Arena and surrounding property in the Midway District. He announced Monday that it is his choice among the three finalists.
Affordable apartment developer Chelsea Investment Corp., Encinitas-based market-rate housing partner Zephyr, international arena developer Legends, and the local architectural firm of Safdie Rabines constitute the Midway Rising team.
The Midway Rising plan features:
A total of 4,250 new homes — 2,000 affordable, 250 middle-income, and 2,000 market rate.
• A new 450,000-square-foot arena with capacity for 14,500 to 16,500 people.
• A 200-room hotel and 250,000 square feet of retail space.
• More than 11 acres of park and open space along with a 9.4-acre public plaza.
Gloria’s recommendation will be presented to the City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee in a special meeting on Sept. 8 and then go before the full council on Sept. 13.
Under a new bidding process, the City Council voted unanimously to consider
The City Council had been presented with two other development teams vying for the redevelopment project besides Midway Rising — HomeTownSD and Midway Village.
“After completing the financial and operational due diligence, it was clear that Midway Rising is not only the team providing the highest number of affordable housing units, but they are also the best partner for the city moving forward,” said Penny Maus, director of real estate and airport management.
Top Photo: Rendering of the Midway Rising team’s redevelopment plan for the Sports Arena area. (Courtesy of Chelsea Investment Corp.)
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro to address
industry at Department of the Navy Gold Coast
The NDIA Department of the Navy Gold Coast, the premier Navy procurement conference in the country, will be held Sept. 6-8 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro will address the defense industry and take questions on the department’s efforts to improve delivery of goods and services to the Navy/Marine Corps Team.
SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman will address the SBA’s efforts to improve the federal government’s utilization of and support to small business, with a focus on the defense Industry.
The Department of the Navy Gold Coast is in its 34th Consecutive year. The event is on track to attract 1,500 attendees from across the nation. Exhibit space has sold out over 250 government, industry and academic organization exhibits. Principal event sponsors include:
- Bank Of America, Deltek, Unanet, NeoSystems, BAE Systems, L3 Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies.
Mesa College president selected for the Aspen
Institute’s New Presidents Fellowship
Ashanti T. Hands, president of San Diego Mesa College, is one of 26 leaders selected for the 2022-23 class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced. The program, made possible with support from JPMorgan Chase, supports community college presidents in the early years of their tenure as they work to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success.
“I am honored to be a part of this prestigious institute, alongside these brilliant colleagues, at this crucial moment in time,” stated Hands. “The ability to engage in dialogue, analyze and humanize data and actively plan to dismantle barriers that prevent equity and excellence, sets my soul on fire.”
Hands started her tenure as president at San Diego Mesa College on July 1, 2022. An equity-focused leader with a deep commitment to diversity, access and student success, Hands served as vice president of Student Services at Mesa College since 2016. She joined Mesa College in 2008 and held positions as dean of student affairs, acting dean of student development and matriculation, and acting vice president of student services.
U.S., Mexico break ground on new
Otay Mesa East Port of Entry
The State of California and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG broke ground on a new port of entry for the California-Baja California region, Otay Mesa East. The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry, a priority project for the United States and Mexico, aims to reduce wait times, increase economic efficiencies, cut emissions and ensure the San Diego-Baja region has the infrastructure it needs to continue its dynamic growth.
Congestion at the border has limited travel and economic growth, negatively impacted public health and contributed to the effects of climate change.
The border crossing facility aims to achieve an average wait time of 20 minutes and improve the safety, security and efficiency of trade and travel between the two countries. With state-of-the-art facilities and a new wait-time detection system, the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry will improve travel reliability and support the unique binational communities on both sides of the busiest border region in the Western Hemisphere.
“Estimates show that this project will support more than $1.8 billion in trade volume and 16,000 jobs that would otherwise be lost,” said Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.
Downtown Works, a company that provides coworking spaces, has expanded its Downtown/Little Italy location by 40 percent, adding 24 private, one and two-person furnished offices. Downtown Works coworking is popular among entrepreneurs and remote corporate employees looking for a community of like-minded professionals and flexibility without the long-term commitments of traditional office leases.
Downtown Works has two other San Diego County locations – Carlsbad and Pacific Beach – and members are welcome to use any Downtown Works location whenever they choose. All feature state-of-the-art technology, décor, and furnishings. Offices, workstations, and meeting rooms can be rented by the month, week, day, or hour. Downtown Works also provides happy hour networking, complimentary locally roasted coffee, craft beer, and is dog friendly.
Cubic delivers 1,000th P5 internal subsystem for F-35 aircraft
Cubic Corporation’s Mission and Performance division successfully delivered the 1000th P5 Combat Training System (P5CTS) for the F-35 aircraft, a significant milestone in military innovation.
The F-35 P5 is an internal subsystem configuration that relays encrypted Time, Space and Position Information (TSPI) between participating aircraft and range ground stations during training sorties. Cubic’s P5 is now included on more than 1,000 F-35s, providing encrypted Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation for the world’s most advanced fighter.
County distributing more than 700 vials of Mpox vaccine
The County of San Diego is distributing 705 vials of Mpox (monkeypox) vaccine this week to health care providers around the region. The vials will be used for the newly authorized intradermal procedure, allowing up to five doses from a single vial, which initially equaled a single dose. Some individuals, including those who are less than 18 years-old or who are immunocompromised, will still require a full-vial dose.
These vaccines are being made available from County reserves.
With the vials being distributed this week, health care providers are expected to independently notify patients who qualify for the vaccine and then schedule vaccination appointments. These appointments are not being made by the County or through 2-1-1.
In addition, county public health clinics began making a limited number of daily Mpox vaccinations available through the state of California’s MyTurn appointment system.
Republic Services’ Otay Compost
Facility named industry’s best
The National Waste & Recycling Association recently named Republic Services’ Otay Compost Facility the 2022 Organics Management Facility of the Year, celebrating its innovative approach to organics diversion. The Otay facility, in Chula Vista, is the first fully solar-powered compost facility in the state, recycling food and yard waste from throughout the San Diego region.
“Republic Services has long been a leader in organics recycling in California, and we are proud to be recognized by NWRA for operating the state’s most innovative compost facility,” said Pete Keller, vice president of recycling and sustainability. “The Otay Compost Facility is an example of our continued investments in infrastructure and technology, helping customers reduce their environmental impact and meet their sustainability goals.”
Earlier this year, California implemented SB 1383, a law requiring a majority of homes and businesses to recycle their food and yard waste. The Otay Compost Facility accepts 200 tons per day of this material from the greater San Diego region and recycles it into nutrient-rich compost and mulch products.
The Good Face Project closes
$5.65 million seed investment round
The Good Face Project, a $5.65 million seed investment round led by VMG Catalyst to infuse scientific ingredient-level data and insights into the Research and Development and innovation cycle for cosmetics.
The participating investors include Spark Growth Ventures, REDO Ventures, Capsum and influential industry executives including John Heffner (CEO, Summer Fridays and former CEO, Drybar), Romain Gaillard (Founder and CEO, The Detox Market), as well as Andy Ballester (co-founder, GoFundMe). Brooke Kiley, partner at VMG Catalyst and Hem Suri, gounding partner at Spark Growth Ventures, will be joining the board as director and board observer, respectively, as part of this raise.
The Good Face Project is a data and technology company focused on creating efficiencies and transparency in the development of personal care products.
Cybersecurity firm Ascent Solutions
opens new location in San Diego
Cybersecurity firm Ascent Solutions celebrated the grand opening of another campus in Carlsbad last week. The new location at 1902 Wright Place adds a West Coast presence to the firm’s headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn. and its center for cyber excellence in Coppell, Texas.
“Our mission to save the world from cybercrime starts in America,” said CEO JD Harris. “We’re strategically expanding our business in the federal space, our center for cybersecurity excellence in Texas, and our presence on the West Coast in San Diego. Our investment in California is part of a definitive goal to expand across the U.S. and internationally. We will become the world’s top cybersecurity provider.”
This is the firm’s third strategic addition in 2022, building on a revolutionary cyber facility
in Coppell, Texas and the creation of a federal cybersecurity venture. The third office location allows for closer partnership with technology and security organizations and benefits Ascent through proximity to college campuses with cybersecurity programs like the University of San Diego, Palomar College, and other recognized schools with grads looking for cybersecurity positions.
USS Fitzgerald returns to homeport San Diego
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald returned to homeport Naval Base San Diego on Tuesday following a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleets in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maria G. Llanos)
Scripps Health earns top spots on Cal Hospital honor rolls
Cal Hospital Compare (CHC), a nonprofit organization that provides Californians with hospital performance ratings, today announced statewide honor rolls for opioid care, maternity care and patient safety, with Scripps Health receiving a total of 10 spots on three lists, more than any other health care provider in San Diego County.
CHC named all four of Scripps Health’s hospitals to the superior tier of its California Opioid Care Honor Roll, making Scripps the only health care organization in San Diego County to be ranked in the list’s top category. This marks the second straight year that Scripps’ hospitals – Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, Scripps Green Hospital and Scripps Mercy Hospital (San Diego and Chula Vista campuses) – have been the only local facilities ranked in the honor roll’s superior tier.
