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No need to stuff the ballot box: Lowe Enterprises earns kudos for wrapping up the County Registrar of Voters HQ, the third phase of the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa. The public private partnership boasts sustainability as well as a decidedly artistic side.  SVP Mike McNerney (with Bibby, his sweet, 13-year old Akita) tells us the 119k SF, multi-use building was designed for LEED Gold and will be applying for certification. It's another vital component of the County's new 47-acre campus, containing election ballot processing capabilities and warehouse production space in addition to Registrar staff offices, he says. (Doing all they can to avoid hanging chads.) The budget for the entire campus is $500M. Lowe also developed the center's previous phases, which include four office buildings totaling 600k SF, a 1,800-space parking structure, and a LEED Platinum conference center.  For those who need to save face, the new building's entrance might be the place to go. Like the previous two phases, the Registrar's building boasts a commissioned public art piece. Untitled, Heads by Omaha, Neb. artist Jun Kaneko, depicts two six-foot ceramic noggins: one with abstract facial features and the other, faceless. (The nice thing is they don't talk back.) In addition, historical art is located through the interior of the building. According to Mike, a significant public art program put together by consultant Gail Goldman has been an important part of the development; each of the buildings' main lobbies features a major art piece by local and national artists.  The Registrar's building project team includes RJC Architects, Suffolk Roel Construction, Project Management Advisors, and the county general services department. Two 150k SF office buildings are designed for a fourth phase, though Mike says there are no plans to build 'em until some County tenants have been identified. But Lowe is working on its I.D.E.A. District project with I.D.E.A. Partners on a full block in Downtown San Diego. The mixed-use project will contain 100k SF of creative office space designed by Gensler, 140 residential units, and 17k SF of retail. Mike wants to prelease half of the office space before launching construction and has proposals out for more than 100k SF, mostly design and tech companies. |
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Glad Tidings It's the season for giving, and Lee & Associates' Carlsbad office kicked up its volunteerism and charitable activities into high gear with a Santa's Workshop Toy Drive, benefiting the Armed Services YMCA. Helping with the drive are Lee elves Greg Gershman, Rusty Williams, Stephen Crockett, Isaac Little, Marko Dragovic, Tim Moore, Monique Medley, and Glenn Stokoe.  Some of the holiday haul...  Lee & Associates-North San Diego County president David Howard says they'll be delivering the toys by today to kids of military parents at Camp Pendleton. The toy drive follows the cans, food, and Turkey Day items that Lee Carlsbad donated to the NAIOP Thanksgiving Food Drive. |
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On the Floor at ICSC in New York |
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 Bisnow was on the scene of the ICSC New York Conference this week, where we snapped Urstadt Biddle Properties' James Aries, Forest City Enterprises CEO David LaRue, and ICSC CEO Michael Kercheval. You didn't buy enough PS4s, Xbox Ones, socks, Hug Me Elmos, and Monster High Dolls on Black Friday, we learned. Sales were weak this year, but retailers shouldn't fret: Overall November-December sales will be up 3.4% over last year, and 7% unemployment means more discretionary income to spend. |
 We also snapped Cushman & Wakefield Americas retail services leader Matt Winn, right, with NY senior director Steven Soutendijk. The top three retail stories to watch in 2014, according to Matt: the continued rise of luxury as it branches into off-prime locations (think Ulaanbaatar couture); further urbanization worldwide as people move back to cities; and a greater focus on outlets ("on fire, everywhere, every brand," he says). |
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JV Plans Mercury Tech CenterWhat's bigger than a stocking stuffer but still primed to deck the halls? CIP Real Estate and Alex Brown Realty's purchase of a six-building industrial/flex park in Kearny Mesa, one of San Diego's few business park transactions this year. The JV partners bought the complex, (8125-8248 Mercury Court) from Union Bank, which housed its loan and credit card service center there for the past 15 years. The business plan calls for converting the project, newly dubbed Mercury Tech Center, back to its original multitenant industrial and flex configuration; renovated units ranging from 3,700 to nearly 17k SF will be available next February. |
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