Daily Business Report: Oct. 12, 2023
San Diego strengthens its life sciences impact
San Diego continues to strengthen is position as one of North America’s largest life sciences hub, with 22.6 million square feet of lab inventory, an average asking rent of $69.23 per square foot and an 8.2 percent vacancy rate, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s September Life Sciences Update.
The report says continued growth of the industry has been fueled by public, private and academic collaboration, a talented workforce and strong life science anchors such as Illumina, Pfizer and Lilly.
The life sciences cluster generated $57.4 billion in economic impact in 2022. As of second quarter 2023, there were 5.9 million square feet (26 buildings) under construction, 25 percent of which sere pre-leased. As venture capital investment returns to pre-pandemic levels and sublease availabilities increase, tenant will have an attractive choice in cheaper, move-in ready space, according to the report.
Photo by Drew Hays on Unsplash
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Latitude 33 starts Phase 1 for $60 million Bonsall development
Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering has announced that Phase 1 for the $60 million Bonsall development, The Havens, is under construction. The master-planned community in San Diego County offers open space and unique amenities. Located on the north side of Gopher Canyon Road, the community is across the street from The Havens Country Club (formerly Vista Valley Country Club) and the world-renowned Cal-a-Vie Health Spa. Phase 1 which includes the first 59 homes is currently under construction and anticipated to be complete in the Spring of 2025. The 16-acre winery with vineyards which will overlook Gopher Canyon Creek, a pond, and avocado orchards are anticipated to be complete in the summer of 2024.
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Governor signs bill allowing CSU and SDSU
to offer independent doctoral degrees
Following years of San Diego State University leaders advocating for the ability to offer independent doctorates comes a major milestone. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 656, permitting universities in the California State University system, including SDSU, to now offer independent professional and applied doctoral degrees.
Until now, CSU campuses were not authorized to offer doctoral degrees independently, and instead were required by state law to partner with private universities or those within the University of California system.
With the signing of AB 656, SDSU will continue its joint doctoral degree programs with various partner universities, but will now have the ability to expand its doctoral degree offerings by developing new professional and applied doctorate programs that will be independently offered by SDSU.
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San Diego Community College District
introduces new Wi-Fi system
The San Diego Community College District is introducing a new Wi-Fi system that will provide expanded and reliable Wi-Fi access to all campuses and district facilities. The main Wi-Fi system, called SDCCD-Campus-Connect, will cover all buildings, including office spaces, classrooms, and study areas, along with outdoor areas.
An additional network, SDCCD-Campus-Connect-Guest, will be available to visitors at all SDCCD locations.
“This project is pivotal in narrowing the digital divide for our students, faculty, and staff, who all have diverse needs,” said Peter Maharaj, associate vice chancellor for information technology. “This will ensure that everyone within the district community has equitable access to online resources, enhancing their academic, teaching, and administrative experiences.”
Port panel votes 6-0 to censure member Sandy Naranjo
Times of San Diego
Sandy Naranjo, National City’s representative on the San Diego Port Commission, was formally censured Tuesday by a 6-0 vote of her fellow board members. Her alleged offenses,
outlined in generalities, lacked specific details. Nearly 30 speakers praised Naranjo as a champion of environmental justice and her South Bay community.
No community member spoke against her in person, online or via voice mail.
But fellow commissioners said a confidential report prepared by an outside legal team compelled them to take action unprecedented in San Diego Unified Port District history.
Eden Brukman is the county’s
new chief sustainability officer
The San Diego County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice has a new chief at the helm. In addition to her unbridled passion for service and helping others, Eden Brukman brings more than two decades of sustainability leadership experience to her role as chief sustainability officer.
Brukman boasts a diverse portfolio of environmentally minded building and infrastructure projects along with many years of experience in climate justice policies.
Before joining the county team, she worked for the San Francisco Environment Department and chaired the Municipal Green Building Task Force while aiding in the development of the San Francisco 2021 Climate Action Plan.
Brukman came to the County in March of this year and now oversees a team of 12 people.
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Erickson-Hall Construction Co. celebrates 25th anniversary
San Diego’s Erickson-Hall Construction Co. is celebrating 25 years in business in the construction industry, completing more than $2 billion in successful construction projects.
The majority of those projects, amounting to $1.5 billion, have been for K-12 schools and higher education developments.
Founded in 1998 by Dave Erickson and Michael Hall, the employee-owned company services the Southern California markets of San Diego, Imperial, Orange, South Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The company’s expertise includes preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, design assist-build, lease-leaseback and program management for educational, fire, essential services, civic, parks, recreation, faith-based, office and healthcare facilities.
Notable projects Erickson-Hall has completed include the San Diego Children’s Museum and San Diego’s California Highway Patrol headquarters; the Los Alamitos Unified School District STEM building at Los Alamitos High School and the University of Southern California’s Fire Station in Los Angeles.
Erickson-Hall constructed San Diego’s first-ever downtown Children’s Museum, which is a 50,000-square-foot building and is one of the first green museums in California. It was completed in 2007.
The front of The New Children’s Museum, built by Erickson-Hall Construction Co. (Photo courtesy of Philipp Scholz Rittermann / The New Children’s Museum). Company founders Dave Erickson, left, and Mike Hall.
EROAD names Karl Weber as executive VP of sales
EROAD, a global leader in fleet performance management, announced the appointment of tenured fleet telematics leader Karl Weber as executive vice president of sales. With more than two decades of fleet technology industry experience, Weber will lead direct and channel sales, as well as sales engineering. For more than 20 years, Weber has shaped and guided high-performing sales organizations.
Cal State San Marcos wins national diversity award
Cal State San Marcos has received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM will be featured along with 108 other recipients in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Introducing friendship app for adut singles and couples
Wyzr Group LLC announces the launch of Wyzr Friends, a smarter, safer (and free) activity-based Friendship App connecting adults with shared interests online and in-person. The difference between Wyzr Friends and other social apps is that Wyzr Friends is not for dating and not geared towards Gen Z users, but instead connects adults in their 40s, 50s, and60s for activities and friendships. Along with core features like matching and chatting, Wyzr Friends has introduced proprietary Friend Blast and Carpool functions.
Guidance celebrates winning Optimizely’s
2023 Commerce Partner of the Year
Guidance, a full-service ecommerce agency driving business for retailers, brands, and manufacturers, announced that it has been named the Commerce Partner of the Year North America winner at Opticon 2023, presented by Optimizely, the leading digital experience platform (DXP). Optimizely helps companies worldwide orchestrate their entire content lifecycle, monetize every digital experience, and experiment across all customer touchpoints.
PG&E launches Microgrid Incentive Program
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced the launch of its Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP) and handbook, providing funding, expertise and guidance for building community, local and tribal government-proposed multi-customer microgrids. The California Public Utilities Commission authorized and approved the new program, allocating $79.2 million in project funding for PG&E, $83.3 million for Southern California Edison, and $17.5 million for San Diego Gas and Electric.
Blenders Eyewear continues partnership with Keep Abreast
Blenders Eyewear of San Diego, a leading eyewear brand, part of Safilo Group, announced a continuation of its partnership with Keep Abreast, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to breast cancer prevention and education. Through this initiative, Blenders Eyewear will launch three new eyewear and accessory products in collaboration with Keep A Breast, in which 100 percent of the profits will be donated to the organization.
QDOBA’s Loaded Tortilla Soup makes a return
With fall here and comfort food on everyone’s mind, QDOBA, a leading fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand, is bringing back its fan-favorite Loaded Tortilla Soup for a limited time. Starting Oct. 10, this beloved, cooler-weather staple lets guests indulge in a delicious bowl of flavor with their favorite protein and tasty toppings in a crispy tortilla shell. QDOBA’s Loaded Tortilla Soup is also available in a regular cup or bowl and can be made vegetarian.
Realty Income declares 640th common stock monthly dividend
Realty Income Corporation, The Monthly Dividend Company, announced that it has declared the 640th consecutive common stock monthly dividend. The dividend amount of $0.256 per share, representing an annualized amount of $3.072 per share, is payable on Nov. 15, 2023 to stockholders of record as of Nov. 1, 2023. To date, the company has declared 640 consecutive monthly dividends on its shares of common stock throughout its 54-year operating history.
Quick Custom Intelligence wins Transformation Award
Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) has been being awarded the prestigious Transformation Award in the 2023 Gaming & Hospitality Annual Industry Awards. This distinguished accolade is presented to a visionary organization that has made groundbreaking advancements in interoperability within the gaming and hospitality sector. The award reinforces QCI’s position at the forefront of technological innovation.
Susan G. Komen hosts 2023 San Diego More Than Pink Walk
Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, will be hosting the 2023 San Diego More Than Pink Walk on Sunday, Nov. 5 at Balboa Park. Thousands of individuals including family and friends will come together to celebrate breast cancer survivors, honor those who have passed away from the disease, and raise critical funds that support research and vital support services for breast cancer patients, including research, financial assistance, screening and diagnostics and patient navigation services.
