Daily Business Report: Monday, April 17, 2023
Cal State undergraduate workers
seek union representation
By Rocky Walker | CalMatters
California State University is the largest public university system in the country, so when sophomore Delilah Mays-Triplett decided working on the San Diego State University campus as a library assistant would be the best thing for her education, she didn’t expect to be paid less than the local minimum wage.
But when Mays-Triplett’s check came, she saw she was paid $15.50 per hour, nearly a dollar lower than the San Diego minimum wage of $16.30.
That reason, paired with others, is why Mays-Triplett decided to sign a union authorization card when organizers approached her. Undergraduate student assistants at the university are mounting a union organizing campaign, calling for more work hours, paid sick time and higher wages. The campaign could potentially affect more than 13,000 library assistants, clerical workers and other non-academic student employees across the system’s 23 campuses and comes at a time of heightened campus labor activism.
“There’s a lot of things that are kind of unfair about our job,” said Mays-Triplett. “So just being able to organize and address some of those issues would be really helpful,” she said, adding that she finds power in “just being able to have a voice.”
Top photo: Delilah Mays-Triplett, 19, works from her work station as a student assistant inside the Love Library Addition at San Diego State University in San Diego on April 12, 2023. (Photo by Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters)
SDSU awarded $10 million federal grant
for new Center for Environmental Justice
San Diego State University has been selected by the Biden-Harris administration to lead one of 17 centers nationwide designed to connect underserved communities with resources for energy and environmental justice. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection last week in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The SDSU Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice will provide critical services to rural, remote, tribal and Indigenous communities to access federal resources for environmental and energy justice projects.
Over the next five years, the center and its partners will co-create accessible, multilingual, in-person and virtual services to help communities that are often most affected by environmental challenges like drought, flooding, and pollution apply for government funding.
“We are excited to spearhead capacity-building efforts to serve the needs of communities who have historically been excluded from policy decisions and actions affecting their homes and surrounding environments,” said SDSU biology professor and project lead, Rebecca Lewison.
The new center plans to establish its physicl home at SDSU Mission Valley’s Innovation District, which is being designed to attract the nation’s best-in-class researchers to support the district’s many transdisciplinary hubs.
San Diego gets $24 million federal
grant for Otay Mesa bridge project
The Biden-Harris Administration announced the awarding of $24 million dollars in federal Bridge Investment Program funds to the City of San Diego for improvements to the Palm Avenue/Interstate 805 bridge in the Otay Mesa/Nestor region. Caltrans District 11 will work in partnership with the city, to oversee the construction and delivery of the project.
The grant was announced during a visit to San Diego by the Federal Highways Administration’s Deputy Administrator Andrew Rogers on Thursday, April 13.
As part of the project, the bridge will be seismically retrofitted and widened for left turn pockets to improve safety and operations of the area, as well as provide multi-modal benefits such as bus stop landings for future transit service, and bike and pedestrian enhancements which will provide improved access to local amenities to fortify regional connectivity for job growth.
President Biden appoints Constance Carroll
to President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities
San Diego Community College District Chancellor Emerita Constance Carroll has been appointed by President Joseph Biden to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which plays a vital role in the advancement of arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, and the creative economy.
Carroll, who served as the college district’s chancellor from 2004 to 2021, retired from that position and now serves as president of the California Community College Baccalaureate Association, a nonprofit organization with the goal of supporting and expanding four-year degrees at the state’s community colleges in select workforce fields.
The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities was founded in 1982 to advise the president on cultural policy.
The First Lady serves as honorary chair of the committee.
Pipeline 5 to return to service
after April 16 – 25 work
The San Diego County Water Authority’s Pipeline 5 will be returned to full service after five months of rehabilitation work that runs from April 16 through April 25. The work is necessary to extend the useful life of critical water infrastructure that delivers reliable supplies for the region. The Water Authority and its member agencies are coordinating to minimize impacts to residents and businesses, while servicing pipelines that are more than 65 years old.
Constructed in 1982, Pipeline 5 is a vital component of the Water Authority’s regional water infrastructure system. It delivers untreated water supplies from Lake Skinner in southwest Riverside County to San Diego County’s eleven local treatment plants.
4 teams in the running for Navy’s 70-acre
NAVWAR property in the Midway District
SAN DIEGO — The United States Navy has selected four development teams to move on to round two of the real estate competition to remake its 70.3-acre NAVWAR campus in San Diego’s Midway District. Last week, the federal government announced that shortlisted teams are now invited to submit more detailed proposals in phase two. The agency did not disclose how many teams responded to the initial solicitation, which was a request for qualifications, nor did it share the names of the developers who were selected to move forward.
Father Joe’s Villages awarded $4 million
grant to build new affordable housing
Father Joe’s Villages has been awarded a $4 million Community Development Block Grant to build a new affordable housing development to help alleviate the region’s homelessness crisis. The grant from the San Diego City Council will be used to fund land acquisition costs for the future housing community, which will be located at 17th Street and Commercial Street and is expected to be completed in 2026. It will provide 107 units of affordable housing in proximity to Father Joe’s Villages’ comprehensive services.
BCCA receives $20 million
from Malin and Roberta Burnham
SAN DIEGO — The Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) has been gifted $20 million from the founders of the nonprofit, Malin and Roberta Burnham. This donation will mark the largest charitable donation to a single organization by the philanthropists. The funds will be used to continue BCCA’s promotion of civic engagement and its work on designing solutions for the region’s issues.
EcoATM Gazelle snags $50 million in funding
SAN DIEGO — Smartphone and mobile device recycler EcoATM Gazelle has raised an additional $50 million from existing investors. The funds will be used to enhance and maintain its over 5,000 kiosks nationwide with improved ease of use and updated technology on grading and pricing of used mobile devices. In addition to those technical enhancements, it plans to strengthen partnerships with businesses and reach more potential customer.
Acadia receives FDA approval
for first Rett Syndrome drug
SAN DIEGO — San Diego-based Acadia Pharmaceuticals has won approval from the FDA for the development of the first Rett Syndrome drug. This marks the first FDA-approved medication to treat a neurodevelopmental disorder. The medicine is expected to be available by end of April 2023, and Acadia has partnered in its development with Neuron Pharmaceuticals to release the prescription under the name “Daybue.”
Rancho San Diego Towne Center
to welcome Raising Cane’s
SAN DIEGO — Rancho San Diego Towne Center, a lifestyle shopping center in San Diego, announced the addition of Raising Cane’s, the nation’s fastest-growing chicken finger concept. The new 3,267-square-foot Raising Cane’s, expected to open at Rancho San Diego Towne Center in June of this year, will be located adjacent to Neighborhood National Bank.
Raising Cane’s has over 700 restaurants in over 35 states and Guam and plans to open 100 new restaurants across several new markets in 2023.
Westmount opens new office in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — Westmount Asset Management, a Los Angeles-based, independent wealth management firm, has opened a new satellite office to better serve clients in the San Diego metropolitan area. The new office is in the heart of La Jolla, at 888 Prospect St., Suite 200. “Westmount was founded in Los Angeles, but we serve clients from all across Southern California and beyond,” says Mike Amash, Westmount president. “Our decision to open a new satellite office in San Diego reflects our growing footprint in the area and gives our clients and partners more options, flexibility and convenience when it comes to meeting with us.”
San Diego’s MG Properties expands Colorado presence
SAN DIEGO — MG Properties, a private San Diego-based real estate investor, owner, and operator, is further expanding its presence in Colorado, announcing the acquisition of Ridge at Castle Rock Apartments. Formerly known as Springs at Castle Rock, MG Properties purchased the property from Continental Properties for $67,150,000. Offering one, two, and three bedroom apartments and lofts, Ridge at Castle Rock is a 2019 garden-style asset with contemporary finishes, attractive amenities, and functional floorplans.
Evofem Biosciences appoints Ivy Zhang
as chief financial officer and secretary
SAN DIEGO —Evofem Biosciences Inc. announced the appointment of Ivy Zhang as chief financial officer and secretary. Reporting to Chief Executive Officer Saundra Pelletier, Zhang will lead Evofem’s finance organization and financial activities including financial planning and analysis, accounting, external audit, tax, controllership, and treasury functions.
Zhang is a seasoned finance executive with more than 14 years of financial and accounting experience spanning diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Sony Electronics selects Deloitte as strategic
service provider for its Ci Media Cloud
SAN DIEGO — Sony Electronics and Deloitte announced a strategic collaboration that will significantly advance cloud capabilities for media enterprises. As a result of this alignment, Deloitte joins Sony’s list of qualified service providers for its Ci Media Cloud platform. The organizations will also join together in the delivery of a comprehensive suite of media technology consulting and system implementation services for enterprise customers of Ci. Both Deloitte and Sony will be attending the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2023 Show on April 15-19.
