Daily Business Report: Friday, May 5, 2023
Historic Gaslamp affordable housing building is sold
Urban Property Group, a real estate services firm specializing in urban and coastal commercial property, announce the sale of the mixed-use building known as the Lincoln Hotel for $2.55 million. The property, located at 534-536 Fifth Ave., is a historically designated Marker Number 60 in the Gaslamp Quarter.
The building, featuring four stories and approximately 14,503 square feet, is currently occupied by El Cabron Restaurant on the ground floor and 41 affordable housing units on the upper floors.
Lincoln Hotel Partnership sold the property with representation by Bill Shrader of UPG to the buyer, Cyrus and Emilia Investments, which plans to renovate the affordable housing component of the property.
Lincoln Hotel (Photo courtesy of Alex Freiburg)
Snapdragon Stadium and SDSU Mission Valley
awarded LEED Gold and Silver certifications
By Ryan Brothers | SDSU
San Diego State University’s Snapdragon Stadium and SDSU Mission Valley have both been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Snapdragon Stadium has been awarded the globally-recognized LEED Gold certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
SDSU Mission Valley achieved LEED Neighborhood Development (ND) Silver certification for being designed and built with sustainable strategies, receiving its highest marks for designing pedestrian and bike-friendly streets in a transit-oriented neighborhood and green buildings with several housing types.
County releases $8.11 billion recommended budget
San Diego County released an $8.11 billion recommended budget Thursday that continues increased spending to fight homelessness; take on mental health and substance use disorder challenges; improve the justice system; help working families and invest in core services like roads, fire protection and parks.
The “Invested in Community” budget is $745.8 million larger than last year’s budget, a 10.1 percent increase. It also adds roughly 490 new positions, a 2.5 percent increase over last year. The increase in budget and staff will support new and expanded social service programs and increasing caseloads to assist vulnerable populations. It also reflects investments in critical infrastructure, like a new Public Health Lab and affordable housing projects.
Palomar Health hosts Career Fair on May 10
Palomar Health, the largest public health care district in California and one of Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals, is hosting a career fair on Wednesday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Palomar Medical Center Escondido, 2185 Citracado Parkway, Escondido, CA 92029. This event presents a unique opportunity for healthcare job seekers to meet with representatives from Palomar Health and learn more about the organization’s commitment to patient care, employee development and career advancement in their continued upward trajectory.
The career fair is open to all nursing and non-medical applicants interested in exploring career opportunities in health care at Palomar Health. Attendees can expect to meet with hiring managers directly, take a tour of the facility and learn about the competitive benefits and compensation packages offered, including the chance to join and apply to the new RN $100,000 Incentive Program. The program will award up to $100,000 with a three-year commitment to Palomar Health.
County could see more housing
dollars with ‘Prohousing’ designation
San Diego County could see more money for housing after it was named one of 11 additional cities and counties to receive a “prohousing” designation from the state for being committed to building more housing, faster. Cities and counties that earn the prohousing designation receive additional points for state housing funding programs and are eligible for additional funding through the $25.7 million “Prohousing Incentive Pilot Program.”
The designation is awarded to cities and counties that implement zoning and land use policies that favor development, accelerate housing production timeframes, reduce housing and production costs, and provide financial subsidies and is another tool to use in addressing regional affordable housing supply needs.
San Diego County has taken numerous actions in recent years to add affordable housing and fight the housing crisis. It is currently working to build a roadmap, or Housing Blueprint, to guide its response to the housing crisis.
Jenny Craig shutting down after 4 decades
CARLSBAD — Jenny Craig, a Carlsbad-based weight loss institution for nearly four decades, will soon be closing its doors, a move that comes amid reported financial troubles and efforts to sell the company. In a federally mandated WARN Act notice sent out by the company last week, Jenny Craig stated that it planned to close its Carlsbad headquarters by June 24 and as a result would be terminating its 146 employees who work in that location. The letter, however, notes that the closure could come as early as today.
College for Kids Camps resume at MiraCosta College
OCEANSIDE and ENCINITAS — College for Kids, which offers weeklong fun and educational summer camps for children aged 6 to 16, is returning to a full schedule this year at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo and Oceanside campuses. The interactive camps offer a variety of topics, ranging from a veterinary program to comics and cartooning to culinary classes led by Eliza Martin, a chef who won the Food Network’s Chopped championship. Other offerings include camps teaching wilderness skills, creating digital music, and participating in funky science experiments. A complete listing of the camps and registration is available at miracosta.edu/collegeforkids.
CyberCatch publishes tool to help
organizations avoid ransomware
SAN DIEGO – CyberCatch Holdings Inc., an innovative cybersecurity company, has published a complimentary tool for organizations worldwide to help them stay safe from ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks continue globally and now has evolved to become a triple threat, and no organization is safe unless adequate risk mitigation is taken. A ransomware attack costs on average $4.54 million, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022.
Lassen Therapeutics names Maria Fardis as CEO
SAN DIEGO — Lassen Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company, announced the appointment of Maria Fardis as chief executive officer. Fardis brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to Lassen. Prior to joining Lassen, Fardis was a venture partner with Frazier Life Sciences. Fardis served as president and chief executive officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics where she transformed the organization from an early-stage development company to one with multiple late-stage programs. She received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
NeoVolta partners with GoodLeap
for financing energy storage systems
SAN DIEGO — NeoVolta Inc., manufacturer of Smart Energy Storage Solutions, has partnered with the sustainable home improvement finance platform GoodLeap to make solar energy storage as affordable as possible for more homeowners. GoodLeap will finance standalone NeoVolta Energy Storage System (ESS) installations with or without solar panels. They offer flexible terms and highly competitive rates. As of 2022, GoodLeap was the number one financing platform, responsible for 26 percent of the entire U.S. residential solar market.
Inaugural Sisterhood of Service event
SAN DIEGO — Shelter to Soldier, a San Diego nonprofit committed to supporting veterans on their mental health journey with trained psychiatric service dogs, along with Zero8hundred, whose mission is to support transitioning military members throughout their post service lifecycle through impact, engagement, and community connection, will host the inaugural “Sisterhood of Service” event on Thursday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Mission Beach Women’s Club at 840 Santa Clara Place, 92109. Sponsored by The Boeing Company, the free event will honor more than 100 women who have served this great nation through military service.
Gator by the Bay holds 20th annual festival
SAN DIEGO — The 20th annual Gator by the Bay by the Bon Temps Social Club of San Diego brings the tastes and sounds of New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou to Spanish Landing Park, 3900 North Harbor Drive, May 11-14. The event features live Zydeco, blues, roots, Creole & Cajun, rockabilly, salsa and New Orleans jass, strolling huskers, kids’ activities, daily Mardi Gras parades, and Cajun and Creole cuisines.
Father Joe’s launches online thrift store
SAN DIEGO — Father Joe’s Villages, a leading homeless service provider in San Diego, launched a new online thrift store on April 24, expanding its retail operations from the brick-and-mortar stores. The store will sell gently used clothing, jewelry, entertainment, household goods, accessories, electronics, and other items donated by supporters, with all the revenue going towards transforming the lives of homeless individuals and families. All retail sales raise funds for the organization’s critical programs and services. Father Joe’s Villages supporters outside of the San Diego area will now have the opportunity to support the organization by shopping online. Visit the thrift store at my.neighbor.org/shop.
Procopio Partner Xiaofan ‘Frank’ Yang
elected to firm’s Management Committee
SAN DIEGO — Procopio Intellectual Property Partner Xiaofan “Frank” Yang has been elected by the partnership to join the firm’s Management Committee.
He assumes the seat previously held by Partner John Cleary, who was elected to the committee in 2018.
Cleary will continue with his corporate law practice.
Yang has been at Procopio since October 2019, when he joined the firm as a partner from Wilson Sonsini.
Yang provides comprehensive IP strategic counseling to public and private biotechnology, pharmaceutical, digital health and medical device companies.
National University hosts conference
for Future Proofing Virtual Work
SAN DIEGO — “Future Proofing Virtual and Hybrid Work,” a virtual conference to be hosted May 11-12 by National University’s Center for the Advancement of Virtual Organizations, will provide emerging practices, strategies, and tips to support diverse industry professionals in all aspects of remote work. In addition to providing insight into how each member of an organization can excel in the virtual workplace, the conference will feature presentations and panel dialogue exploring remote leadership, human resources, entrepreneurialism, and management. Registration is open at nu.edu/cavo
Protector training for first RAF consort begins
at General Atomics’ North Dakota center
SAN DIEGO — On May 1, the Royal Air Force (RAF) began training its first cohort of pilots, sensor operators, and mission intelligence coordinators on operating its new Protector Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) at the Flight Test & Training Center (FTTC) in Grand Forks, N.D. The FTTC is owned and operated by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., which has begun deliveries of Protector RPAS to the RAF. Protector is a derivative of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and is initially being flown in the USA for training.
