Daily Business Report: April 12, 2023
Chelsea Investment Corporation selected to build
first affordable housing project at SDSU Mission Valley
San Diego State University has selected Chelsea Investment Corporation to develop the first affordable housing project at SDSU Mission Valley. Chelsea will deliver 182 units in a first phase of multifamily housing to a population with incomes averaging 50 percent of the area median. The project will also include a state-of-the-art childcare center, and a culturally rich space complete with public art on the building facades.
Groundbreaking will be as early as 2025.
The project will consist of 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom units, in an affordable community with landscaped courtyards and gathering spaces. Given the proximity of the Stadium Station trolley stop, the project will be designed around transit-oriented commuting to help minimize the need for driving and parking, and to include on-site bicycle storage.
Upon successful execution of the first phase, Chelsea would deliver a second phase of 109 units.Upon project completion of both phases, SDSU Mission Valley will deliver more than half of its committed 460 affordable housing units.
The 6,220 square foot childcare facility will support up to 70 preschool and Pre-K children. The childcare center will be operated by Episcopal Community Services , a local nonprofit organization.
Top photo: Rendering of Chelsea Investment Corporation’s first phase housing project at SDSU Mission Valley. (Phog courtesy of Joseph Wong Design Associates)
U.S. proposes options for cutting
California’s Colorado River water
By Alastair Bland
The Biden administration today proposed alternatives for cutting Colorado River water allocations for Southwest states, including one that would substantially reduce the amount of water delivered to Southern California.
One of the three options would retain California’s historic, century-old senior water rights, while another would override them and split the cuts in water deliveries evenly between California, Nevada and Arizona. The even-split option would be a big blow to Imperial Valley farmers while benefiting the other states.
The river, which supplies water for 40 million people in seven states, has shrunk during the West’s megadrought, with its major reservoirs, Mead and Powell, approaching record lows and expected to eventually run out of water unless user states cut back.
The federal government’s draft environmental impact statement comes after years of discussion over how best to allocate water cuts. A final decision is expected in August, after a public comment period, and will affect the 2024 operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams.
Millions available to support
housing projects in San Diego County
Continuing its efforts to expand the supply of affordable housing, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has made $25 million available for affordable housing developments. In addition to these funds, Project Based Housing Choice vouchers and Project Based Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers are also available.
The latest round of funding available is through the Innovative Housing Trust Fund. It will be administered by the County’s Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS).
Developers can access the Notice of Funding Availability through the County Buynet system and HCDS website. The deadline to apply is June 5, 2023. Proposals to be considered will support housing for seniors, transition-aged foster youth, veterans, persons experiencing homelessness, low-income families and other at-risk groups.
Illumina, Henry Ford Health partner on
genomic testing for cardiovascular patients
genomeweb
Illumina and Henry Ford Health said on Tuesday that they have launched a partnership to study the impact of whole-genome sequencing in cardiovascular disease. Under the terms of the deal, Henry Ford’s centers for precision medicine and genomic medicine in Detroit will conduct implementation and clinical studies to investigate the use of next-generation sequencing tests, including whole-genome sequencing, in cardiac care.
The partners are also launching CardioSeq, a 1,500-patient study that will use a WGS-based test developed by Illumina to create a “comprehensive cardiovascular genomic profile.” Financial details were not disclosed.
“This study is the first of several that will measure the impact of whole-genome sequencing in patients with cardiovascular disease,” David Lanfear, VP of clinical and translational research at Henry Ford Health and the study’s lead clinician, said in a statement.
Palomar Health launches $100,000 nurse
incentive and recruitment program
Palomar Health, a leading health care provider in San Diego, announced the launch of its new RN (registered nurse) $100,000 Incentive Program. The groundbreaking program is designed to recruit world-class talent to Palomar Health and as well as retaining its existing world-class nursing staff by offering incentives to them.
As part of the RN Incentive program, Palomar Health will award up to $100,000 for all currently employed and newly eligible RNs over a three-year commitment period and a sign-on incentive for all newly hired RNs.
This program has a limited commitment window for current internal staff that began April 3 to April 21. As for the external window, or to the RN public, people can join the Palomar Health team between April 10 to July 17 and qualify for this compensation. New hire RNs, who start before April 10, will also be eligible for enrollment in the program, only during the April 3 – April 21 window. For more information about Palomar Health and how to apply, visit https://www.PalomarHealth.org/ApplyNow/.
San Diego International Airport begins using
renewable diesel for non-road vehicles
The first shipment of renewable diesel has arrived at San Diego International Airport. Renewable diesel can reduce emissions by up to 75 percent or more compared to petroleum diesel. The sustainable fuel is now being used in all diesel-powered airside (non-road) vehicles and equipment, such as baggage tugs, belt loaders, and firefighting vehicles. Approximately 30 percent of all airside vehicles and equipment at the airport are now “alternative fuel” because of the switch from petroleum diesel to renewable diesel.
“SAN Fuel Company is proud to partner with San Diego County Regional Airport Authority to bring renewable diesel to SAN,” said Scott Carrington, Fuel Category Manager at Southwest Airlines and Chair of the SAN Fuel Company. “This partnership is a great example of collaboration between the airport and its airline business partners and it provides a model for others to replicate.”
City College Nursing Program ranks
No. 2 in California, No. 3 nationally
SAN DIEGO — San Diego City College Nursing Program ranks second in the state for best nursing school in California, according to RNCareers.org. Out of 134 nursing schools in California, the nursing program at San Diego City College ranks No. 2 in the state, and out of more than 1,700 nursing programs nationally, it ranks No. 3. Its 3-year average NCLEX-RN passing rate is 99.50 percent, giving the San Diego City College an overall grade of A.For academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21, with both years having a cohort of 52 nursing students, the NCLEX RN pass rate was 100 percent. In academic year 2021-23, the pass rate was 98.41 percent with a cohort 63 students.
James V. Fazio III joins Gordon & Reese as partner
SAN DIEGO — Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, the nation’s first and only law firm with offices in all 50 states, welcomes James V. Fazio III as a partner in the San Diego office. He joins the Commercial and Intellectual Property Litigation practice groups. Fazio’s practice focuses on commercial, business and intellectual property litigation. He represents public and private companies as well as start-ups in a wide variety of disputes, including those involving cybersecurity threats and incidents, patent and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, breach of contract, unfair competition, false advertising and various business tort claims.
Vegan fast food chain appoints veteran
restaurant executive to its board
SAN DIEGO — Plant Power Fast Food announced the appointment of Andy O’Brien to its board of directors. O’Brien, a QSR and supermarket industry veteran, was formerly the CEO of M&M Food Market. O’Brien brings a wealth of expertise to the company, having worked in the food industry for nearly two decades. His experience as a grocery and restaurant CEO will bring valuable insight into securing the right leadership and fostering “best of breed” management strategies.
SOCi and PAR Technology’s Punchh
launch strategic partnership
SAN DIEGO — SOCi, the marketing platform for multi-location brands, and Punchh from PAR Technology, announced a strategic partnership that integrates SOCi’s industry-leading localized listings management and reviews solutions with Punchh’s loyalty and engagement platform. The partnership between SOCi and Punchh allows SOCi users to consolidate their workflows across multiple platforms, while also ensuring their data health and accuracy.
Specifically, the integration allows multi-location marketers to update their location data across all locations in SOCi.
Sony Electronics launches immersive
open back monitor headphones
SAN DIEGO — Sony Electronics announced the MDR-MV1 Reference Monitor Headphones, designed for professional sound engineers and music creators. The headphones combine sound quality with long-lasting wear and reliability. Their open back design enables accurate reproduction of a wide sound field, making them a suitable option for mixing and mastering immersive spatial sound, such as 360 Reality Audio, as well as stereo sound with hi-resolution capability.
TrueCare opens Older Adult Health Center
SAN MARCOS — TrueCare, a nonprofit community health center serving North San Diego and South Riverside Counties, has opened the TrueCare Older Adult Health Center in west San Marcos. The new location is designed to provide a unique care experience for treating adults aged 50-plus with complex and chronic health conditions. TrueCare’s Older Adult Health Center is a progressive step towards addressing the county’s growing older adult population.
Poseida Therapeutics appoints Kristin
Yarema as president, cell therapy
SAN DIEGO — Poseida Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage cell and gene therapy company advancing a new class of treatments for patients with cancer and rare diseases, announced that Kristin Yarema has joined the company as president, cell therapy. Throughout her career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Yarema has led product strategy and commercialization for therapies at all stages of their life cycle. She joins Poseida after most recently serving as chief commercial officer at Atara Biotherapeutics. Yarema also held a series of U.S. and global commercial leadership roles at Amgen.
MG Properties named one of the
country’s largest multifamily firms
SAN DIEGO — MG Properties, a private San Diego-based real estate investor, owner, and operator, earned national recognition by making the National Multifamily Housing Council’s 2023 NMHC 50, the annual ranking of the nation’s largest apartment owners, managers, developers, builders, and syndicators. MG has steadily expanded its market focus during 30 years of growth while performing through four major downturns, including nearly $4.5 billion of multifamily acquisitions since the pandemic shutdowns — totaling almost 12,000 units across 42 properties.
Andrew Cardno, Ralph Thomas and A.K.
Singh publish 4th edition of casino guide
SAN DIEGO —Casino gaming data experts Andrew Cardno and Ralph Thomas of San Diego-based Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), and A.K. Singh have released the 4th edition of their legendary book, “The Math that Gaming Made.”Available on Amazon, the highly influential book is updated with a further expanded glossary as well as new articles about data and its potential for the gaming industry. Richly informative, “The Math that Gaming Made” is the go-to resource for the gaming industry about data and math and how to use them correctly to make money.
Travelers can explore four different regions
with Holland America Lines’ West Coast cruises
SAN DIEGO — Holland America Line has opened cruise bookings for its 2024-2025 West Coast season from San Diego and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sailings from these two North American homeports allow guests to see the world from their doorstep, without international air or by taking an easy flight from Canada. Travelers can set out from the West Coast to explore the vibrant cultures of Mexico, Hawaii’s aloha spirit, the charming seaside escapes of the Pacific Coast and the famed Panama Canal on five ships across 42 cruises. Sailings are roundtrip from San Diego, roundtrip from Vancouver, or begin or end in either of the two ports.
