Daily Business Report: Dec. 14, 2023
Alaska Airlines acquires
Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion
Alaska Air has entered an agreement to acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal valued at $1.9 billion — or $18 per share in cash. The combined company will unlock more destinations for consumers and expand choice of critical air service options and access throughout the Pacific region, Continental United States and globally, the companies said.
“This combination is an exciting next step in our collective journey to provide a better travel experience for our guests and expand options for West Coast and Hawai‘i travelers,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO.
“Since 1929, Hawaiian Airlines has been an integral part of life in Hawai‘i, and together with Alaska Airlines we will be able to deliver more for our guests, employees and the communities that we serve,” said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO.
Passengers traveling throughout the Continental U.S., U.S. West Coast and across the Pacific will benefit from more choice and increased connectivity across both airlines’ networks, with service to 138 destinations including non-stop service to 29 top international destinations in the Americas, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, and combined access to over 1,200 destinations through the oneworld Alliance.
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Sudberry Properties starts construction
on The Brynn at Civita in Mission Valley
Sudberry Properties, the master developer of the 230-acre Civita in Mission Valley, has broken ground on the urban village’s fourth apartment neighborhood, The Brynn, with 200 luxury apartments and extensive amenities on 3.3 acres. The new residential enclave, scheduled to open in 2025, is located at 2525 Via Alta, overlooking the 14.3-acre Civita Park.
The five-story structure, which features “San Diego Modernism” architecture, is designed with residential units wrapping around a parking structure with 360 spaces. Building wings are configured to create a series of courtyards, each with a distinctive landscape character and theme.
Sudberry Properties’ development team for The Brynn includes general contractor Rockwood Construction, Architects Orange for architecture and landscape design, RICK Engineering Company for civil engineering and land planning, and Design Tec Inc. for interior design. Sudberry Properties will provide property management for The Brynn at Civita.
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Grand opening held for Dianne Jacob Lakeside Equestrian Park
The County of San Diego opened the Dianne Jacob Lakeside Equestrian Park Sunday.
Over 400 people attended the event featuring a ribbon-cutting, family-friendly activities and an arena show. The show included various equestrian performers showcasing dressage, jumping and reigning skills.
The park is named for Dianne Jacob who served as County Supervisor for 28 years. She was a steward for parks in San Diego County during her time in office.
“Dianne has always been an advocate for parks and recreation – and for any program that engages families, especially youth, in healthy activities,” said County Parks Director Brian Albright. “During her time at the County, she had a hand in opening over 100 park features and facilities.”
Plans for the nearly 14-acre park date back to 2012, with construction beginning in 2020. The park can host a variety of equestrian and livestock-related events.
MiraCosta College receives grant
to bolster clean energy workforce training
MiraCosta College has been selected as one of the new Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a groundbreaking initiative fueled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This recognition positions the MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute (TCI) at the forefront of energy innovation and workforce development.
Supported by a grant of $2.1 million, the IAC project transforms MiraCosta College’s TCI location into the latest San Diego Industrial Assessment Center. This initiative will pioneer accelerated workforce training and develop a curriculum that utilizes cutting-edge technology focused on renewable trade programs. MiraCosta’s approach is tailored to address the regional workforce demand, offering practical training that equips graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary for energy efficiency, equipment, and standards.
California’s food insecurity rises as pandemic aid ends
By Jeanne Kuang | CalMatters
Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks on Tuesday.
“Families are buying less food,” said May Lynn Tan, the association’s director of research and strategic initiatives, who conducted a survey of food aid recipients this summer. “They’re running out of food, not being able to afford nutritious meals, and worrying more about food.”
Advocates credited a pandemic-era federal aid program that gave food assistance recipients more money for groceries for pulling food insecurity below 20% of California households between 2021 and 2022. The additional aid, Tan said, helped recipients buy healthier food and become more financially stable.
As prices soared last year, food insecurity spiked. Then, the boost in federal aid ended in April. By October, more than 1 in 5 California families — more than 3.1 million households, including 1.1 million with children — were steadily reporting uncertain access to food,
according to Census data analyzed by the association.
Dakota Hickingbottom joins Seltzer Caplan law firm
Dakota Hickingbottom has joined the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek as an associate in the Litigation Department. Hickingbottom brings litigation experience and a unique vantage point of the judicial system from her two year judicial clerkship with the Hon. Ruth Bermudez Montenegro, a district judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
She earned her law degree from California Western School of Law.
Illumina partners with HaploX
Illumina has partnered with Chinese genomics firm HaploX to launch a domestically produced sequencer, NextSeq 2000Dx-Cn-Hap, in China. HaploX, based in Shenzhen, said it has provided genetic testing services to hundreds of hospitals, biopharmaceutical companies, research institutes, health examination centers, insurance companies, and local governments across the country. In 2018, HaploX closed a $32 million Series A- financing round that included investors SB China Venture Capital and Kexin Capital.
Oddly named La Jolla restaurant is a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner
Paradisaea, the 1-year-old restaurant in La Jolla’s Bird Rock community named for a species of birds on the island of New Guinea, was awarded a prestigious Bib Gourmand honor on Tuesday by the Michelin Guide. Paradisaea, which serves a California cuisine menu, is one of seven restaurants in California awarded the honor, which represents what Michelin Guide inspectors designate as serving “good food at moderate prices.” It’s one step below the coveted Michelin star.
Mission Bay RV Resort offers expanded group camping
Mission Bay RV Resort announced convenient group camping offerings at its collection of 147 new family-friendly campsites. The spacious sites provide improved access to affordable camping on San Diego’s coastline in the northeast corner of De Anza Cove with discounted rates on bookings of 10 or more RV and tent camping sites, exclusively available during the winter season (Tuesday after Labor Day through the Thursday before Memorial weekend).
San Diego’s Presidio Residential Capital in Porterville development
Joint venture partners San Joaquin Valley Homes and San Diego’s Presidio Residential Capital have closed on a parcel of land in Northwest Porterville, to build two distinct communities: Brookside and Laurelwood consisting of a total of 228 single-family homes. The new communities are located at the northeast corner of Westwood/Westfield. Model construction is slated to begin in spring 2024 and the first homes will be released for sale in summer 2024.
Assistance available for homeowners behind mortgage payments
Logan Heights Community Development Corporation announced there are funds available from the California Mortgage Relief Program to help eligible homeowners who are behind on their mortgage or property tax payments along with free assistance to help guide them through the application process. The program provides essential financial relief, offering qualifying households up to $80,000 in assistance to help them keep their home and achieve financial stability. These funds never have to be paid back. Click for more information.
County launches community-driven initiative to address inequity
The County’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice has launched a new initiative that will invest $2 million over two years into community-driven initiatives that address inequity. The Equity Impact Grant (EIG) program will provide small, local organizations with general operating funds, tailored coaching and capacity-building support. Click here for more information.
Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade set for Dec. 27
The Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by Kaiser Permanente is set to take place on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 10 a.m. The parade will return to its normal route on Pacific Highway, passing the County Administration building, and concluding where North Harbor Drive meets Pacific Highway. Thousands of spectators are expected, with live streaming available on CBS 8+ and www.holidaybowl.com.
Ulrick Matsunaga promoted to associate attorney at Crosbie Gliner
Ulrick T. Matsunaga has been promoted from law clerk to associate attorney at the law firm of Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson. He joined the firm in early 2022. Prior to joining CGS3, Matsunaga was a senior operations leader for Sonder Holdings Inc., a publicly traded hospitaliy company. He holds a J.D. from USD School of Law and earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial labor relations from Cornell University.
