Feb 1, 2014 ... New Car Review. The 2014 Audi Allroad .... “The tribe needs to follow the law
and delay construction until an adequate ..... ganization in town, the Lincoln Club.
And at a time ...... Since 1995, she has tried over 70 criminal and ...
FEBRUARY 2014
THE COMPANY SHAPING SAN DIEGO’S SKYLINE
Turner Construction makes its presence known Downtown PG. 12
METRO MOVERS 2014
Debra Rosen
Ileana Ovalle Engel
Noelle Norton
Ron Morabito
Some of our Metro Movers to Watch in 2014. See our report on PG. 18
David Morino
GIVE DAD THE GIFT OF DONOVAN’S WORLD CLASS SERVICE OPEN 3PM - 9 PM, SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2013.
Paul Leeds
February|2014|Issue 2 |Volume 29 Our mission is to always provide quality journalism for our readers by being fair, accurate and ethical and a credible resource for our advertisers.
COV E R STO RY
ON THE COVER:
Shaping San Diego’s Skyline
In the last six months, Turner Construction has completed work on two of the most significant San Diego development projects of the last decade — the new Central Library (above) and the expansion of Terminal 2 at the airport — earning praise from a broad range of civic leaders and business groups. Turner has redefined San Diego’s landscape over the last four decades. See story on Page 12.
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Metro Movers Introducing SD METRO
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New Car Review
Movers to watch in 2014. See page 18
The 2014 Audi Allroad bridges the gap between something like the BMW X3 (and Audi’s own Q5) and something along the lines of the BMW 3-Series wagon. A bit better in the snow than the latter, a bit better in the curves than the former. Read Eric Peters’ review.
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The Visionary Awards
LEAD San Diego will host the 12th annual Visionary Awards, Southern California’s premier leadership recognition event, May 22 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The awards honor individuals and their work to improve the San Diego/Northern Baja California region. J. Craig Venter, founder of the J. Craig Venter Institute (pictured) is one of the awardees.
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A Persian/American Dream
One great example of achieving the American dream — building on opportunity — can be found in Behrooz Faharani, the owner of Bandar Restaurant, located in the Gaslamp. Read David Rottenberg’s review.
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Travel: A Visit to Atlantis
If the fabled continent of Atlantis should rise up out of the waves, it might look like Atlantis on Paradise Island. With its coralcolored buildings, strange rooftops and an iconic main building consisting of two halves connected by a bridge, Atlantis on Paradise Island creates an impression of erupting from another time, another place, another world.
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Chairman | CEO Robert Page
[email protected] Publisher Rebeca Page
[email protected] Managing Editor Manny Cruz
[email protected] Photography/Illustration Delle Willett
Contributing Writers Cecilia Buckner Bailey Hughes Lisa Halverstadt Andrew Keatts Colette Mauzeralle Eric Peters David Rottenberg Margo Schwab Delle Willett Advertising SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR Rebeca Page
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SD METRO magazine is published by REP Publishing, Inc. The entire contents of SD METRO is copyrighted, 2013, by REP Publishing, Inc. Reporduction in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written consent. All rights reserved. All editorial and advertising inquires can be made by calling or writing to the above. Editorial and ad deadline is the 24th of the month preceding the month of publicaion. Mail subscriptions of SD METRO are available for $50 a year for addresses within the United States. A PDF version of this issue is available at sandiegometro.com Additional information, including past articles, online-only content and the Daily Business Report can be found at sandiegometro.com. For reprints or plaques of articles published in SD METRO , please call Rebeca Page at 858-461-4484 All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any Prefernce limitation or discriminatin based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national orgigin, or an intention, to make any preference, limitation or discrimination. “Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living wit hparents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This magazine will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which in in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this magazine are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD Toll-Free at 1-800-669-9777. Th Toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.
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SAN DIEGO SCENE
SAN DIEGO SCENE
Jamul Indian Village released this rendering of the proposed $360 million ‘Hollywood Casino Jamul.’
Board of Supervisors to sue Caltrans for its approval of Jamul Casino Management Plan The county Board of Supervisors has voted to take legal action against Caltrans over its approval of an encroachment permit and temporary management plan submitted by the Jamul Indian Tribe in connection with its proposed $360 million “Hollywood Casino Jamul” project. The tribe announced the start of construction activities for the casino, which it claimed would “blend seamlessly into the region.” The transportation management plan and encroachment permit were submitted by the tribe to minimize any traffic impact on State Route 94 during construction of the casino. Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dianne Jacob, a resident of Jamul and longtime opponent of the casino project, issued a strongly worded statement against the tribe’s plans. “The tribe must take us for fools if it thinks a Hollywood-style, Costcosized casino would blend seamlessly into rural Jamul,” said Jacob. “The giant gaming complex might generate profits for the tribe and its developer, but at the expense of the community’s quality of life. “The tribe needs to follow the law and delay construction until an adequate environmental review of the traffic impacts has been completed. The county will be taking legal action to enforce the law.
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Kearny Real Estate Co. Acquires Union Bank Building Kearny Real Estate Co. has acquired the Union Bank building, a 232,098-square-foot office building at 530 B Street in Downtown San Diego, and will undertake a $15 million capital improvement program, the company announced. The sale price was not disclosed. Through a new long-term lease, Union Bank will continue to occupy a major portion of the building. While Union Bank will retain building top signage, Kearny will rebrand the building as 530 B. The overhaul will include the building’s core plumbing, new restrooms, tenant improvements and a new indoor/outdoor patio that has been underutilized. “This patio is one of the reasons we bought this iconic building. It gives us the opportunity to create a wonderful indoor/outdoor experience for our tenants,” said Kearny partner John Bragg, who heads the firm’s San Diego office. “When completed in spring 2014 there will be nothing else like it for tenants in Downtown San Diego.” Built in 1966 and renovated in 1992, the Union Bank Building had stood as the tallest building in San Diego for more than 20 years. Characterized by its floor-to-ceiling windows, every floor offers 360-degree views of the San Diego Bay, Pacific Ocean and Balboa Park.
The Union Bank building in Downtown San Diego.
TSA Contracting Elevates Ben Briggs and Kristen Freeman Ben Briggs
Rancho Penasquitos resident Ben Briggs, a 25year construction industry veteran, has been named project executive/senior project manager at TSA Contracting, a San Diego-based construction company. The company also announced the promotion of Kristen Freeman of San Diego to project manager. Briggs previously was project director where he performed project management and preconstruction services for a 116-unit apartment complex valued at $14 million. Freeman, a graduate of UC San Diego, previously held the title of project engineer at TSA. She will be responsible for projects in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.
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Kristen Freeman
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SAN DIEGO SCENE
Bartell Hotels Completes $13 Million Expansion of Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside Property San Diego-based Bartell Hotels has completed a four-story, 44,000square-foot, $13 million expansion of its Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside property at 4875 North Harbor Drive. The hotel expansion features a new entrance to the hotel consisting of a Mediterranean garden, a 23-foot sculpture and a 2,000-square-foot lobby with 18-foot ceilings. The expansion also added 57 guest rooms and suites with bay and marina views, a corporate boardroom and a 5,000-square-foot prefunction area and ballroom. The hotel now totals 291 guest rooms including 13 suites, and total meeting space of 9,750 square feet. The large metal sculpture, Intersect, serves as an aesthetic focal point at the hotel’s entrance. It draws inspiration from marine and maritime life for which Point Loma and Shelter Island are famous, according to Bartell. “The three delta shapes are representative of abstract seabirds, fish and sailboats as balance is reached when all of the elements are in harmony with each other,” said the sculpture’s creator, Matt Devine. Joseph Wong of JWDA served as architect, Liz Bartell Design performed design work and Parterre Landscape Architecture handled landscaping. The official Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside re-launch set for late winter 2014.
Holiday Inn Bayside
Qualcomm Makes Worldwide Patent Top 10 List Qualcomm has cracked the world’s top 10 list for the number of patents awarded in a year, KPBS reports. The San Diego-based company was one of only three American firms on the list. The wireless technology company landed in ninth spot in 2013 with 2,103 patents. That’s up sharply from the 1,292 patents Qualcomm added in 2012. That 62 percent gain also pushed it up from its 17 place ranking that year. Qualcomm joined IBM and Microsoft as the only U.S. companies among the top 10. Qualcomm has more than 50,000 patents in its portfolio, according to Martin. The patents involve everything from how cell phones transmit and receive large amounts of data, to technology that allows for wireless links to smart devices in the home.
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SAN DIEGO SCENE
$215 Million County Operations Center Now Complete The recent completion of construction of the new Registrar of Voters building marked the final phase of the $215 million San Diego County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa. The completion brings an end to the work done by SuffolkRoel since 2009 to consolidate multiple county functions on a 30acre site. Besides the 118,000-square-foot Registrar’s building, previously completed facilities include four separate 150,000-square foot, four-story office buildings, a 30,000-square-foot conference center with a cafeteria and public auditorium, and a central plant with 3,600-ton cooling capacity; totaling 780,000 square feet of new space. Because the project came under budget, the money saved allowed the county to add tenant improvements to existing buildings and various site improvements, county officials said. All buildings have received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, including the Platinum-certified conference center. The entire campus achieved LEED Gold certification. The project team included the San Diego County Department of General Services, Lowe Enterprises, RJC Architects and Project Management Advisors Inc. Suffolk-Roel is the result of Suffolk Construction’s 2011 acquisition of family-owned Roel Construction.
The San Diego County Operations Center.
Researchers Unlock the Key to Deadly Virus Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), led by Professor Erica Ollmann Saphire, have now solved the structure of a key protein in the Nipah virus, an emerging pathogen found in Southeast Asia. Its initial outbreak in humans in 1997 has been followed by yearly outbreaks with increasing mortality rates. Lethality has increased from 40 percent initially to 70 percent and, in some cases, even 100 percent. There are no therapeutics for the virus and no vaccines for humans. This discovery could pave the way for the development of a much-needed antiviral drug. The virus is carried by the flying fruit bat and causes only mild illness in pigs, dogs, cats, horses, goats and sheep, which also spread the disease. “It’s the scariest virus you’ve never heard of,” said Jessica Bruhn, a graduate student in Saphire’s lab, noting that the movie “Contagion, “ a medical thriller that came out in 2011, is based on outbreaks of the Nipah virus. Bruhn initially designed this study of Nipah as a summer internship project in 2012 for Katherine Barnett, then an undergraduate student in a summer program at TSRI, who is also a co-author of the paper.
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Scripps Research Institute Associate Professor Erica Ollmann Saphire (foreground) and Associate Professor Marisa Roberto.
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SAN DIEGO SCENE
Illumina’s New Low-Cost Genome Machine Stands to Change Health Care Forever In 2003, the cost of sequencing a human genome was $500 million. Thanks to San Diego’s Illumina, the cost today is down to $1,000. For years, modern science has been on a quest to affordably sequence the human genome. Illumina, the world’s leading seller of gene sequencing machines, unveiled its HiSeq X (pronounced “High Seek 10”) recently. The system is the world’s first DNA-crunching supercomputer designed to process 20,000 genomes per year at a cost of $1,000 each. Although Illuminia may be the first to reach this hallmark, many other San Diego players, including Life Technologies and Craig Venter, have been involved in efforts to find an affordable way to sequence our DNA, proving some of the best scientific minds are right in our backyard. Jay Flatley, Illumina’s chief executive officer, introduced the machine at an investors conference in San Francisco, saying customers will begin receiving the machine this quarter. “This will be a blockbuster product,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. The high-speed, low-cost sequencing system arrives at a crucial time, with a number of biotech companies, research centers, and hospitals starting to show real clinical breakthroughs. “To figure out cancer, we need to sequence hundreds of thousands of cancer genomes, and this is the way to do it,” Flatley said.
Jay Flatley, CEO of Illumina.
Biocom CEO Appointed to Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee by Governor Joseph Panetta, 59, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee by Gov. Jerry Brown. Panetta has been president and chief executive officer at Biocom since 1999. He was global leader of government and regulatory affairs at Dow Agroscience from 1998 to 1999 and vice president of government and public affairs at Mycogen Corp. from 1988 to 1998. Panetta was a regulatory affairs manager at the Pennwalt Corp. from 1985 to 1988 and a senior policy analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1979 to 1984. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. The position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Panetta is a Republican.
Joseph Panetta
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SAN DIEGO SCENE
Cubic Wins $18.3 Million Contract For F-35 Air Combat Training System Cubic Defense Systems, a subsidiary of Cubic Corp., has been awarded an $18.3 million contract from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to design and integrate its latest-generation air combat training system for the F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter. Cubic is scheduled to deliver airborne instrumentation and ground station planning and debrief software systems as part of F-35 System Development. Cubic’s air combat training system will be deployed to several countries receiving the F-35 jets including the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Australia and Norway. “The F-35 Training Subsystem will be embedded and integrated in the aircraft as they roll off Lockheed Martin’s production line,” said Dave Schmitz, president of Cubic Defense Systems. Cubic and its principal subcontractor, DRS Technologies Inc., will use an embedded P5 solution as the baseline for the F-35 Internal Training Subsystem. Engineering work for the training systems will be performed in San Diego. The contract is the first delivery of production units that will be deployed with the Block 3 F-35 stealth fighters.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Coming in our April issue:
Our Guide to San Diego County’s
TOP ATTORNEYS
2014
Nomination Deadline: March 7th
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40 UNDER 40
NBC and Bridgepoint Education Arranging to Leave Downtown NBC is leaving Downtown. NBC has negotiated a termination of its lease and will be moving out of Downtown in October 2016, according to Jason Hughes, president and CEO of Hughes Marino, a San Diego commercial real estate company. Comcast will be relocating the studio and office space to the suburbs into a company-owned building. “This will be a big loss to Downtown and to 225 Broadway where NBC has building top signage, their ground floor TV studios as well as the entire third floor, “ said Hughes. Hughes also reports that Bridgepoint Education has negotiated a lease termination for its space at 600 B Street (floors 1 and 2), and will be leaving Downtown over the next six months. “Bridgepoint has building top signage as well, so that makes two great options for large companies wanting great identity in Downtown,” said Hughes. “For 600 B Street, this now provides for the entire lower
half of the building as vacant — more than 160,000 square feet of contiguous space.” The YMCA building at 500 West Broadway Downtown may soon go up for auction, following a failed run as a low-income hotel and other financial difficulties, according to Hughes.
NBC building on Broadway.
Convention Center Corporation Board Gets New Leadership Nico Ferraro, a 19-year veteran of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, is the new chair the San Diego Convention Center Corp.’s board of directors. Businessman Stephen Cushman was elected vice chairman of the board, and Rabbi Laurie Coskey was elected secretary-treasurer. Ferraro worked in the pipe trades industry for 40 years. His union career ended with his retirement in 2008. Gov. Gray Davis appointed him to the Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Board. Cushman, who has been actively involved with numerous boards and commissions, established The Cush Automotive Group and was a recognized leader in the automotive sales industry before its sale in 2006. Coskey is the executive director of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, an organization representing clergy, churches, mosques, synagogues, faith and justice organizations in San Diego.
Nico Ferraro, Stephen Cushman and Laurie Coskey.
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COVER STORY
THE COMPANY SHAPING SAN DIEGO’S SKYLINE By Joel Hoffman | Voice of San Diego
The Central Library. The Convention Center expansion. The airport’s extreme makeover. These are the kinds of projects that Turner Construction signs on to build or renovate. Landmarks that define major cities. Of course, when you’re a giant like Turner, you can afford to be selective.
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COVER STORY In the last six months, Turner has completed work on two of the most significant San Diego development projects of the last decade — the new Central Library and the expansion of Terminal 2 at the airport — earning praise from a broad range of civic leaders and business groups. Turner has redefined San Diego’s landscape over the last four decades. It built the tallest government-subsidized housing complex on the West Coast and expanded the Convention Center twice. It converted an old athletic club into the city’s largest multi-service homeless shelter, and it would have dramatically remade Balboa Park if the Plaza de Panama project hadn’t fallen apart. Many of Turner’s biggest projects in San Diego are bolstered with taxpayer money yet the company’s local leader, Richard Bach, is a member of the most powerful anti-tax organization in town, the Lincoln Club. And at a time when Downtown development is under fire, Bach is working to spur more of it. Turner has managed to do all of this while maintaining good relationships with both organized labor and those who oppose unions regularly. And now Turner is poised to compete for Ballpark Village — the biggest plot of undeveloped land in the city’s urban core. Turner’s Downtown State of Mind Turner’s presence in San Diego is most obvious Downtown, where the company builds its biggest projects and its executives sit on the boards of influential, pro-development organizations. “In the relationships they seem to have with local leaders, they’re top-notch,” said Mark Cafferty, president of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. “They’ve built a reputation for themselves.” Lori Ann Stevens, Turner’s director of business development, is a board member of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., and Bach, a regional senior vice president, is on the boards of the Lincoln Club and the Downtown San Diego Partnership. “Like most businesses, we engage in the civic process by belonging to various groups that support our industry and the growth of San Diego,” Bach told VOSD. “As a com-
mind: another convention center expansion. A new civic center. A Downtown football stadium for the Chargers. The plan to keep redevelopment funds flowing Downtown didn’t pan out, but Bach still commends Faulconer and former Mayor Jerry Sanders for taking a stand against the governor. “The record will show that city leaders did fight to keep it,” Bach said.
In a 2010 photo, Richard Bach, head of Turner Construction’s San Diego operations, is shown with schematics of the Downtown Library.
pany, Turner does not make political endorsements.” But the groups that Bach belongs to do. Both have endorsed Councilman Kevin Faulconer’s run for mayor, and both have raised sizable sums to support him. Bach said he wasn’t involved in the Lincoln Club’s campaign to boot Republicanturned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher from the mayor’s race — he’s donated to Democrats and Republicans, including Fletcher — but he admits that he’s still involved in the Downtown Partnership’s San Diego Jobs Political Action Committee, which he helped create a few years ago when he was chairman of the board. In October, that PAC contributed $25,000 to an independent but openly proFaulconer committee, and Bach gave $500 to Faulconer’s campaign. “As a property owner and business person in San Diego, I have been impressed with Mr. Faulconer over the years and feel that he will help steer San Diego in an open and transparent manner,” Bach said. It’s no secret that Bach and Faulconer are friends of Downtown redevelopment. In a 2011 speech, Bach thanked Faulconer for leading the charge in City Council against Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to cut funding for the city’s former redevelopment agencies, which had funneled taxpayer money into massive construction projects in the past. At the time, Bach had a few projects in
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What Turner Has Built Even after the state deflated San Diego’s redevelopment agencies in 2012, Turner continued to pursue big-ticket projects Downtown. It lagged behind the top three firms locally in the value of contracts signed — Balfour Beatty, Hensel Phelps and Swinerton — but it still grossed $100 million in San Diego. In 2013, Turner’s patience paid off with the completion of the Central Library and the airport’s new Terminal 2. Work on the Terminal 2 expansion at San Diego International Airport wrapped up in 2013. Turner’s other significant projects in the region include the Village at Torrey Pines West, Ten Fifty B, which Turner describes as “the tallest affordable housing project on the West Coast,” a student residential community at UC San Diego, the living quarters for Marines at Camp Pendleton, the renovation of University of San Diego’s Fowler Park baseball stadium and the transformation of the old Downtown athletic club into the Connections Housing center for San Diego’s homeless. Turner also purchased hot tubs and urinals for the Hard Rock Hotel, but doesn’t emphasize that one so much. The price tags for publicly subsidized projects that Turner has helped build in San Diego range from a few hundred thousand dollars to $820 million. “To be considered for public works contracts of this kind, you need lots of money — pockets deep enough to handle financial issues,” said public-interest attorney Cory Briggs. “When you’re talking about a $1 billion public-works project, your pool of contractors is pretty slim.”
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COV E R STO RY
Turner is shaping the Downtown skyline with efforts such as Ten Fifty B.
How Turner Got So Big Turner doesn’t have the brand-name recognition of Ford or Campbell’s, but it bills itself as an American institution, albeit a peripheral one. In 1904, two years after its founding, Turner built concrete stairs for New York City’s first subway system. And in 2010, it wrapped up construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, then the world’s tallest building. It built quite a bit in between: churches and corporate offices, roads and research centers, concert halls and stadiums. You’d be hard-pressed to drive through a major American city without passing structures that Turner shaped in some way. Projects like the National Constitution Center, the United Nations Secretariat and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. “They do tend to win these big, iconic projects,” said Yehudi Gaffen, owner of Gafcon, a San Diego-based constructionconsulting firm. “I often wonder how they did it.” Last year, Turned signed $9 billion in new
contracts nationwide and raked in more money than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. It helps to have the financial backing of Hochtief, a German construction firm that consistently ranks among the most profitable in the world. Since its acquisition of Turner in 1999, Hochtief has purchased a complete or controlling stake in a stable of firms — Flatiron, EE Cruz and Clark Builders — that each are able to compete for big contracts. Hochtief ’s companies are giants in their own right, but sometimes they work in tandem. That’s what Turner and Flatiron did at the San Diego airport. Downtown’s Turner State of Mind Somehow Turner has managed to do all of this without making many enemies. And it has garnered praise from trade groups that rarely agree with one another: the pro-union Building Trades Council and the not-sopro-union Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction. “They put out a good product and they’re a quality contractor,” said Tom Lemmon, business manager of the Building Trades Council. “You don’t get to be the size they are without producing a great product,” said Eric Christen, executive director of the coalition. Even when Turner grapples with problems here, it seems to come out unscathed. As Briggs has found in looking at legal cases involving Turner, the gripe is often with another company that Turner has hired to help with a project. “I’ve never been involved in a case where Turner was accused of doing anything inappropriate,” Briggs said. “By and large, they do what they agree to do.” Even a client that dropped Turner, San Diego City College, said Turner had done nothing wrong.
SDCC decided not to renew Turner’s construction-management contract about halfway through an $89 million building project. Thomas Fine, a campus project manager at SDCC, said that the college had made a “business decision to recompete” the contract. There were no allegations of misconduct. The college just wanted to give other firms a shot at the Proposition S- and N-funded project, he said. Bach also described it as an amicable split. “We had a fixed sum,” he said. “We achieved that sum. There was no issue.” Turner had the opportunity to put in another bid for the contract, but SDCC chose PCL Construction to take it over. What’s Next Ballpark Village has everything a giant could want in a construction project. The largest plot of undeveloped land Downtown. A 34-story high rise that will stand out in San Diego’s skyline. A $250 million budget. If done right, Ballpark Village could breathe new life into residential and retail development around Petco Park — the kind of development that Bach has been calling for. Bach confirmed that JMI Realty has hired Turner to estimate how much it will cost to build each part of the project and how long it will take. But he won’t say much about the project until JMI gives him the green light. “We don’t go for a job just to make a quick win,” Bach said. “We go for a job hoping to get another one.” Joel Hoffmann is an investigative reporter for Voice of San Diego. This piece appeared in the winter edition of Voice of San Diego Quarterly.
Ballpark Village, 7.1 acres located adjacent to Petco Park, represents the largest contiguous and undeveloped land remaining in downtown San Diego. The master plan calls for approximately 3.2 million square feet of mixed-use residential, retail, hotel and office development on the acreage. Once completed, the projects on these properties should represent more than $1.5 billion of additional construction activity in Downtown San Diego. Master Planning/Land Status: Planning Developers: JMI Realty, Lennar Communities Architect: Carrier Johnson + Culture
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W O R K S PA C E
Fool’s Gold Why open office space won’t work for your company There’s been a lot of hype surrounding open office space for the past few years. Some claim that the borderless workspaces often favored by tech-companies are destined to become the wave of the future. In fact, the largest commercial real estate company in the world has been touting an office space revolution, where open benches throughout all of their remodeled offices reign supreme, and no one has a cube (let alone office) to call their own. They claim that the abundance of other office amenities makes up for the lack of personal space. Don’t get me wrong. At Hughes Marino, we welcome change. We love innovation. We wholeheartedly embrace new ideas, so long as they achieve the results they are designed to achieve. The problem we’ve seen time and again with the open office design, is that the unintended consequences of switching to this type of layout far outweigh any benefits. While the open office concept may seem “cool,” it’s important to remember that this type of workspace initially arose out of desperation. Years ago, when many of the now famous tech companies were just barely getting off the ground, they had to maximize usage of the space at all costs, in the name
of survival. Every conceivable corner was — literally — cut in an effort to save money. Employees were haphazardly thrown into one big room, and told to make the best of it. Make no mistake, the office-less office arose out of necessity, rather than any sort of strategic design. Over time, these companies began adding amenities in order to keep their employees happy, despite the fact that they had no space to call their own, nor any place to escape when they needed to buckle down and think. They added onsite car washes, monthly visits from massage therapists, and dry cleaning pick-up and delivery instead. The result has worked for a handful of companies. However, far too many other companies have found that the promise of the open plan is nothing more than fool’s gold. The reason is simple. Employees need quiet areas to be able to think. They need personal space much more than they need “collaboration” areas, which rarely get used. Unfortunately, many companies have had to learn the hard way that the unintended consequence of trying to cut expenses via putting more bodies into less space, is that production plummets. Amenity-rich environments, which were
As companies try to cram more employees into less space with open office floor plans, workers are finding it harder to focus and get anything done.
By Jason Hughes
supposed to promote unity and teamwork, result in employees wearing headphones to block out the noise around them. Suffice to say, the price they pay trying to be trendy has been costly. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: professionals by and large need a workspace to call their own. If you’re considering this type of office plan, we encourage you to first read this workplace study (http://www.gensler.com/uploads/docum e n t s / 2 0 1 3 _ U S _ Wo r k p l a c e _ S u rvey_07_15_2013.pdf), which illustrates in detail the struggles employees face when trying to work in an open plan office, and consequently the price their companies have had to pay. Jason Hughes is president and CEO of Hughes Marino, a San Diego commercial real estate company specializing in San Diego tenant representation and building purchases. Contact Jason direct at (619) 2382111 or
[email protected] to learn more.
Working in an open plan office increases the chance of getting ill, feeling stressed and becoming aggressive, according to a new study.
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INSURANCE
State of the Insurance Market and What it Means to You By Jeffrey Cavignac
Many businesses about now are preparing projections for the second half of 2014, and one of the major expense items is insurance. This article will explain where the industry is in the insurance cycle and what you can expect to see the remainder of the year. In order to look forward, we need to understand how the industry’s cycle works and what drives it. It is also important to look at past industry metrics, since they will directly impact insurance industry objectives moving forward. Insurance Cycles Defined Like many industries, the insurance industry is cyclical. However, the insurance cycle generally runs independently of other business cycles. Insurance companies make money in one of two ways: 1) Underwriting profits; and 2) Investment income. An underwriting profit is achieved when losses plus all expenses are less than premiums. Insurance companies also make money on the interest they earn on the reserves they have set aside to pay future claims. This represents an insurance company’s policyholder surplus. Policyholder surplus is critical to understanding the economics of the insurance business. While demand for insurance remains relatively constant, supply (surplus) fluctuates up and down. If surplus goes down, insurance companies become more selective on which accounts they will consider, the industry becomes less competitive, and policy terms become more restrictive. This is known as a “hard” market. Conversely, if surplus goes up, the industry becomes more competitive. Rates go down, underwriters are willing to consider risks they wouldn’t consider in a hard market, and they are willing to offer broader coverage in order to attract business. This is referred to as a “soft” market.
dustries or poor loss experience), you can expect larger increases. Professional Liability Rates vary depending on the industry and desirability of the risk. Overall, however, market trends are similar to the rate changes mentioned above for property, auto liability and excess. Preferred architects, engineers and construction managers can expect flat to plus 5 percent. Similarly, preferred accountants and attorneys shouldn’t expect anything more than plus 5 percent, but higher risk professionals such as structural engineers, geo-techs and environmental consultants may see rate increases higher than that. Executive Risk Executive risk includes directors and officers liability (D&O), employment practices liability (EPL) and fiduciary liability. While results for fiduciary liability have remained decent, experience for both D&O and EPL has been poor. The down economy and resultant high unemployment has substantially increased the claims against directors and officers and the number of employment-related lawsuits has escalated dramatically as well.
So Where in the Cycle? The industry is in an interesting place. A true hard market is driven by poor returns and decreasing surplus. Return on net worth continues to be weak. The year 2012 was the fifth year in a row with returns under 6 percent. So what can you expect in 2014?
Workers’ Compensation Workers’ compensation continues to be a huge challenge for the insurance industry, especially in California. Nationally, the combined ratio in 2012 was 108 percent, which was down from 114 percent in 2011. In California, the 2012 combined ratio was 117 percent and this was a substantial improvement over 2011, which was 137 percent. Over the last four years, the combined ratio in California has averaged 132 percent. Ultimately, what you pay for workers’ compensation is determined by your net rates. A net rate is the rate after application of insurance company credits or debits and your experience modification. Underwriters generally have latitude to adjust your base rate plus or minus 25-40 percent based on how they feel about your account. This underscores the importance of a thoughtfully completed submission to the underwriting community, which extols the virtues of your firm, why you are a good risk, and why your company deserves significant credits.
Property, Liability, Auto and Excess All the insurance companies we work with want five to 10 points of rate on renewal. Unfortunately (for the insurers), the industry remains competitive and insurance companies don’t want to lose their preferred customers to other opportunistic competitors. For preferred risks, we expect on average to see renewal rates ranging from flat to plus 5 percent. For non-preferred businesses (high hazard in-
Surety Consistent with most of the financial markets, the surety industry currently remains profitable despite the increase in loss activities this year. However, just as the country recently averted a near-miss budget crisis with only temporary relief, the industry will likely continue to struggle in 2014. Further increases in loss frequency are anticipated, but hopefully severe losses will be avoided.
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INSURANCE
Health Insurance All plans for non-grandfathered small groups (2-50 employees) are changing in 2014. The medical benefits, prescription benefits, networks, age bands, Rate Adjustment Factors (RAF), waiting periods, taxes and fees will change for every insurance carrier in this category next year. Rates are expected to increase between 20-40 percent because of these changes. An insurance policy is a contract between an insured and an insurance company. In exchange for the premium, the insurance company agrees to bear risk as spelled out in the policy. So what can you do to lower the cost of your insurance?
1) Create a culture of safety: Make certain you have an effective and compliant safety program. 2) Start your renewal process early. Discuss marketing with your broker and engage your underwriter as well, if appropriate. 3) Work with the right insurance company–one that offers risk control services and proactive claims management in addition to a policy and reactive service. 4) Work with the right broker. Brokers vary dramatically in the services they offer. Unless you have a full-time risk manager, your broker needs to coordinate your risk management efforts. The insurance industry will continue to vacillate between hard and soft market cycles and there isn’t anything you can do about it. What you can do, however, is proactively manage your operations to lower the frequency and severity of claims that drive your insurance and risk management costs. Jeffrey Cavignac is president and principal of Cavignac & Associates, a commercial insurance brokerage firm in San Diego.
NOMINATE TODAY FOR OUR 2014 AWARDS ISSUE
AWARDS
March April May June July August September November December January 2015
THE WOMEN’S ISSUE BEST LAWYERS WOMEN WHO IMPACT SAN DIEGO PRIME TIME “50 OVER 50” MEN WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO’S TOP MARKETING EXECUTIVES ANNUAL “40 UNDER 40” HONOREES THE MEN’S ISSUE MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES IN SAN DIEGO METRO MOVERS
To nominate go online to: sandiegometro.com and complete the nomination form.
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METRO MOVERS 2014
Introducing the Metro Movers for the year — men and women who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and who are poised to add to their achievements in 2014.
Jeffery Adler Jeffery Adler is the founder and CEO of Dlush, a youth-market drink and treat concept. He has held the position for 12 years. The retail chain has outlets in San Diego, Los Angeles, Kuwait and Qatar. Recent expansion initiatives include a new branch at the Rock Church in Point Loma and a branch set to premiere inside the Price Center at UC San Diego. Prior to Dlush, Adler worked as a retail consultant to executives in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. He is noted for his category-innovations in the Food & Beverage world. He has a deep passion for F&B and his mission is to build a company home to San Diego that can inspire the youth to connect around his product, and from it, inspire them to pursue their own personal dreams. Dlush participates in youth-related charity events like the Larry English Football Camp for Kids, Rady Chidllren’s Hospital Annual Gala Event for Kids with Cancer, and Flavors of the Gaslamp to raise proceeds for kids with multiple sclerosis. During the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s 20th Triathalon, Jeffery distributed drinks to thousands of challenged athletes along with their friends and family. He has been involved with the Autism Society of San Diego, the seventh annual Homeless Connect and partnered with the Susan G Komen’s Race for the Cure. He helped strategically develop USD’s Bright Idea Initiative, a mobile kiosk to encourage students to step inside a booth, share and record their dreams in 60 seconds or less. He is a graduate of Georgetown Law and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland where he graduated summa cum laude as the university’s valedictorian. Ileana Ovalle Engel Ileana Ovalle Engel is the state director of government affairs for Cox California, leading a dynamic team that builds and maintains positive relations with local, state and federal government officials to cultivate an optimal environment for the third largest cable and telecommunications company in the United States. She is known for her connectedness and commitment to the diverse constituencies of San Diego. Whether it is hands-on work in cleaning up City Heights canyons, mentoring a diverse group of youth or raising upwards of $100,000 towards nonprofit fundraising campaigns, Engel is always willing to pitch in to improve our community. She has
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served on the boards of Ocean Discovery Institute, Junior Achievement, South County Economic Development Council, USD Nonprofit Leadeshipo & Management Advisory Board, the San Diego Foundation Opening the Outdoors Intiative, MABPA and the California Channel. A LEAD San Diego 2006 graduate, Engel was one of 20 Latina professionals statewide in 2013 to be selected to the Hispanic Leadership Institute through Hispanics Organized for Political Equality. A native San Diegan, she was raised by a single mother in the University Heights and North Park communities. Engel was the first in her family to go to college. She holds an M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership/Management from USD and a B.A. in Public Ad William W. Eigner William Eigner is the go-to guy for emerging businesses and the angel and venture capital investors investing in them. With his Stanford connections, his service on the boards of San Diego Venture Group and CommNexus, and his involvment in Procopio’s Silicon Valley office, Eigner has developed a powerhouse network of investors and entrepreneurs who are fueling the rise of emerging and established businesses in technology, energy, the sciences and other sectors. He is recognized as one of San Diego’s top transactional attorneys, and a past U.S. Supreme Court judicial intern. He has a knack for getting companies and investors what they need to succeed. His practice further encompasses corporate and business transactions, including matters relating to telecommunications, electronic commerce, clean technology, life sciences/medical devices, corporate governance, competitive business practices, securities and business structuring and finance. Eigner also has significant experienced in handling mergers and acquisitions, contractual and political issues involving telecommunications companies and indpendent power producers. He is a director of the San Diego Police Foundation. He is a past director of the San Diego Regional Chamber and is a member of the chamber’s Public Policy Committee. He serves on the board of the Mundoval Fund, a publicly traded, global, large-cap, value-oriented mutual fund. He is a former trustee of La Jolla Country Day School and a former member of the Bishop’s School’s Headmaster’s Advisory Council. Eigner is a former trustee and land use chairman of the La Jolla Town Council.
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Paul Leeds Paul Leeds is an experienced trial attorney, having tried over 20 cases to verdict in state, federal and military courts, and has argued before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit’s Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. Prior to joining Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Leeds spent 13 years on active duty in the U.S, Marine Corps. After earning his JD in 1996, Leeds was assigned for six years as a military prosecutor and special assistant U.S. Attorney. During 2001, Leeds was recognized by the ABA as the Outstanding Young Military Lawyer by the U.S. Marine Corps. He is active in the Marine Corps Reserve where he is the head of litigation for the reserve government activity supporting worldwide military prosecution efforts. He teaches evidence and trial procedures through the San Diego Inn of Court, and is a member of the San Diego bankruptcy Forum. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Noelle Norton At a time when some are questioning the value of a liberal arts education, new University of San Diego College of Arts and Sciences Dean Noelle Norton think it is more important than ever. A political scientist who has taught at USD since 1994, Norton sees the value of learning about history, languages, science and other subjects as a long-term proposition. Norton became dean of USD’s largest academic unit with some 4,000 students and 225 full-time faculty in July 2013, and had led a number of USD initiatives that encourage students to integrate information, solve problems and communicate results. She directed the USD Honors Program for seven years where undergraduates are required to conduct and present cutting-edge research and create work in the humanities, natural and social sciences. She also co-directed the design and implementation of USD’s Living Learning Community program where 100 percent of all first-year students with similar intellectual interests live and take classes together, resulting in more interdisciplinary connections and community engagement. “USD provides an excellent liberal arts and sciences education to our undergraduates, whether business, engineering, science, social science or humanities majors,” Norton says.
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Ron Morabito A native New Yorker, Ron Morabito discovered his passion for business at a young age. Morabito became a stockbroker at the age of 19, after achieving his goal of passing the Series 7 exam. After working as a broker for three years, he decided he wanted to go into business for himself and established a signage and printing company on Long Island at the age of 22. He built up a very successful business and after eight years sold the company and decided to relocate to California in 2007 where he opened up a new corporation, V Group, which provides signage, trade show displays, printing and promotional products. Morabito’s childhood was fairly normal throughout his adolescent years, but he ended up leaving home at a very early age and was homeless for several of his teen years. Many nights in the New York cold he slept outside, but never gave up hope. Only recently has he come out publicly about his story in the hopes that even if it inspires one person, it’s a story worth telling. Too prideful and honest to never beg or steal he always worked any odd job he could to survive those times. In San Diego, he is an active philanthropist who supports youth programs for underprivileged and at-risk children. He sits on the board of trustees for the San Diego Sports Commissioin and is an active member of the Century Club where he serves as chairman of the volunteer committee. He is a 40 Under 40 Award winner and was named San Diego’s Young Executive of the month by San Diego’s Young Professionals Committee. He also volunteers his time and signage for the All About Kids Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Huntington’s Disease Foundation. He has also recently launched a new company called South Pacific Woodwork, specializing in custom cabinetry, casework, display and furniture. Dave Marino David Marino is executive vice president of Hughes Marino, the largest tenant representation company in San Dieo. Hughes Marino is committed to only representing tenants in their lease and purchase transactions of commercial space. Marino specializes in high-value, time-critical and complex transactions for technology, life science and business service companies. He is an expert in the strategic planning, market assessment, financial analysis, business terms structuring and negotiations as-
M E T RO M OV E R S pects of commercial real estate. Marino has an in-depth command of the entire facility lease, purchase and disposition process. He has been exclusively representing tenants since 19912, completing over 13 million square feet, comprised of over 1,000 transactions. He has represented Alphaec Spine, Digirad, EMD Millipore, Encore Capital, Entropic Communications, Peregrine Semiconductor, Silicon National Bank and Volcano Corporation, where Marino does all of its work in North America for over a dozen leases. His selected venturebacked clients include ID Analytics, Mitchell International, Ophthonix, SmartDrive Systems and Tritech Solftware. Marino has been named Broker of the Year by the San Diegop County Commercial Association of Realtors, was a 2003 40 Under 40 Award winner by SD METRO Magazine and The Irvine Company’s “Broker of the Year” each year from 2005 to 2013. He is a columnist for SD METRO Magazine, a graduate of the UC Riverside and holds an MBA from the University of Southern California, with an emphasis in real estate and finance. Debra Rosen Debra Rosen is president and chief executive officer of the North San Diego County Chamber of Commerce. She has turned around two underperforming nonprofit organizations by developing and implementing strategic plans, restoring profitability for member programs and benefits and winning market share in competitive regions and has continued to deliver growth for the chamber. She took the chamber out of debt and into being recognized as one of the few accredited chambers in California. She has led her management team and board in identifying critical issues, reduced and streamlined overhead expenses and paid off enormous debt that carried liens against the organization. She has delivered year over year revenue growth of more than 10 percent. As the chamber’s chief executive officer, Rosen has tripled the annual budget and revenue over the past three years. Before joining the chamber, she was in sales management at the U-T San Diego, responsible for new product development. She is a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary, involved with the National Charity League, a member of the San Diego Chairman’s Roundtable and a member of the Advisory Board at National University’s School of Business and Management. She holds a B.A. in public administration from San Diego State University. Ronson Shamoun Ronson Shamoun is a tax controvery attorney
with 15 years experience including 10 years in legal practice. Shamoun’s firm has grown from a solo practice into being the principal attorney at RJS Law, a full-service law firm of more than 20 individuals dedicated almost exclusively to criminal and civic tax practice. Through a series of high-profile cases, the firm has gained considerable prominence and recognition in the San Diego legal community and has developed a reputation for steadfast advocacy on behalf of its clients. RJS Law has also been recognized for the more than 1,000 pro bono hours it donates annually to the community and for its assistance to lowincome taxpayers who could otherwise not afford representation. Shamoun is an elected member of the Ocean Beach Planning Board and formerly served on the Ocean Beach Town Council. Many are familiar with Shamoun through one of his two hugely popular restaurants: the Charcoal House in La Mesa and the Junction Steakhouse and Sports Bar in El Cajon. His businesses sponsor numerous local high schools and provide aid to various charitable organizations. He maintains a close relationship with his alma mater, the University of San Diego School of Law, and just recently created a scholarship for USD law students studying taxation. He has been named a top lawyer in California by the American Lawyers Media, and has chaired the annual Grossmont Hospital Foundation gala. Mary Ann McGarry Mary Ann McGarry is CEO of the San Diegobased Guild Mortgage Co. She has helped guide Guild achieve record increases in loan and servicing volume, expanded the company nationally and created an environment where employees are proud and excited to work. She was named president in 2005 and CEO in 2007. Under her leadership, the company has expanded nationally to more than 170 branch and satellite offices in 16 states, with plans for continued growth in the Southeastern United States. In 2012, Guild launched the Guild Giving Back Program, which encourages employees to donate time and money to worthy causes in their own communities. Catherine Blair Catherine Blair is president of the board of directors of Susan G Komen for the Cure, San Diego. She is an influential pillar of San Diego’s business and philanthropic community. She has worked with many nonprofits through critical transitional stages, helping them to become more effective and stronger community resources. As chair of the Grants
Committee, Blair completely overhauled the grant-making process, increasing impact and transparency. Under her leadership, grants made to the San Diego community have grown from $750,000 to $1.4 million. Blair is an active volunteer. She began her involvement with the Rady Children’s Hospital Auxiliary. She has been involved with the Junior League of San Diego and the Bishop’s School Parents’ Association. Blair has also started her own business, Hummingbird Needlepoint, where she designs original hand painted needlepoint canvases. Jon R. Williams Jon Williams is president of the San Diego County Bar Association and a partner at Broudreau Williams LLP. He is a certified Appellate Specialist (State Bar Board of Legal Specialization) who specializes in civil appeals and writs at both the state and federal levels, and regularly partners with other law firms and trial counsel to handle their complex appellate matters. Willaim is an avid cyclist and surfer. He regularly participates in charity bike rides in order to raise funds for numerous local and national charities, including Challenged Athletes Foundation, American Diabetes Association and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He has been honored as a San Diego Super Lawyer and is a past president of the California Western School of Law Alumni board of directors, and is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California. Stephen Friedman Stephen Friedman is a senior vice president and regional manager for Regents Bank, one of the leading community banks in San Diego. Friedman epitomizes the bank’s unique approach, spending extra time to advise his clients about business strategy. As a former CEO of Bruegger’s Bagels, the fomer CFO of the Westwind Group and a former owner of a local commercial bakery, Friedman thinks entrepreneurially. Knowing that he has had to sign personal guarantees and make payroll himself has motivated his clients to involve him in strategic decisions affecting all aspects of their businesses. He has been involved with the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club to support returning service members who have been deployed overseas and Photo Charity, to support homeless youth in San Diego.
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Danny Shepherd Danny Shepherd is president of Titan SEO, a San Diego-based SEO company that focuses
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on comprehensive digital marketing solutions including SEO, pay-per-click and social media services to businesses worldwide. A graduate of San Diego State University, Shepherd actively invests in and helps to fund early stage companies as an Angel investor with Tech Coast Angels. He founded Titan in 2004. It has been recognized as an Inc. Magazine 5000 company for the fourth year in a row. Utilizing proprietary software known as TitanBOT, which emulates search engine behavior, Titan SEO’s team can effectively test updates and identify the outcome of a campaign before going live. This technology has given Titan SEO a significant advantage and has contributed to years of positive growth. Titan SEO is a trusted Google Agency Partner. Shepherd donaes funding and SEO support for Fresh Start Surgical Gifts. Jacob James Jacob James is managing director of the Waitt Foundation, focusing on novel approaches to philanthropy and public-private partnerships. He joined the Waitt Founation in 2009 as lead policy adviser and executive assistant to Waitt Foundation founder and chairman, Ted Waitt. Before joining the Waitt Foundation, He was an aide to Congresswoman Susan Davis. He is a member of the Waitt Foundation board and is an adviser to the Clinton Global Initiative on behalf of the foundation. He is also a member of the board of the San Diego Foundation and was recently named co-chair of the Malin Burnham San Diego Center of Civic Engagement’s Leadership Council. Samantha Begovich Samantha Begovich is a deputy district attorney and currently co-chair of the Stanford University Law School Alumni Board in San Diego. Since 1995, she has tried over 70 criminal and civil trials as sole counsel to verdict and conducted numerous grand jury proceedings leading to indictments. She has collected over $7 million in stipulated civic and criminal judgments. Begovich is playing a leading role in building a new constituency for the San Diego Center for Civic Engagement’s new initiatives in education, jobs and civic technology. She is vice chair of the San Diego Foundation’s Leadership Fund Steering Committee and will be stewarding the upcoming San Diego Solution Series, five major leadership salons which seek to bring together San Diego’s best and brightest to seek ideas and action to issues pertinent to the growth of the region.
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TARUAV T OE L
NEW CAR REVIEW: The 2014 Audi Allroad What is the difference, really, between a “crossover” SUV and a wagon? The lines blur. Both are almost always based on cars (usually, front-wheel-drive cars, almost never rearwheel-drive trucks). Most offer some type of all-wheel-drive system — either standard or optionally available. But rarely, if ever, fourwheel-drive (with low-range gearing). The crossover usually sits higher off the ground and looks like it would be able to trundle off into the woods . . . and make it back, without the assistance of a winch. The wagon’s stance appears more on-road inclined. Then there are the in-betweens like the Audi Allroad. It’s certainly a wagon, looks-wise. A sporty wagon, even. But it has a bit more ground clearance (7.1 inches) than is typical for a sportwagon (BMW’s otherwise similar 3 Series wagon has less than six inches of clearance) though not quite as much ground clearance as the typical crossover SUV (a BMW X3 has more than eight inches of clearance). Thus, it bridges the gap between something like the X3 (and Audi’s own Q5) and something along the lines of the BMW 3-Series wagon. A bit better in the snow than the latter — a bit better in the curves than the former.
What It Is The 2014 Allroad is a compact wagon based on the A4 sedan, but with more ground clearance (and of course, cargo room). It comes standard with Quattro AWD (optional in the A4) as well as a snappy (and fuel efficient) eight-speed automatic vs. the CVT that comes standard in the A4. It also comes with a higher price tag: $41,595 vs. the A4 sedan’s base price of $34,695. But, it’s got a lower
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price tag than a 2014 BMW 3 Series wagon, which starts at $42,375, and which isn’t set up to be as snow day-friendly.
What’s New For 2014, the output of the Allroad’s 2.0 liter engine is kicked up to 220 hp (from 211 last year) and Bluetooth wireless and USB hook-ups are now standard rather than optional. There’s also a price bump of $1,100 for the 2014 vs. the 2013.
What’s Good Like all things Audi, this is a tight car, inside and out. Beautifully proportioned, elegantly finished. The Brown Hi-Power of the bunch. More room inside than in the A4 sedan on which it’s based. More able to deal with less-than-perfect weather than the lower-skirted BMW 3 wagon. Better on-road manners/ride and handling than a BMW X3.
What’s Not So Good Not as up to the curves as a 3 Series wagon. Not as capable in the rough as an X3 (or Q5). No diesel option (BMW offers this in the 3 wagon). Over-teched MMI input.
Under The Hood Just one powertrain in the Allroad: Audi’s 2.0 liter turbo four, teamed up with an eightspeed automatic and Quattro AWD. Power is up slightly for 2014 — to 220 hp from 211 for the 2013 model. So is acceleration, which improves to 6.4 seconds to 60 from 6.5 last year. Gas mileage, however, stays the same: 20 city, 27 highway, which is fairly hungry for such a small engine (in a relatively small vehicle). That’s because the Allroad is a fairly heavy vehicle — 3,891 lbs. empty, so well over 4,000 lbs. with just the driver on board. The A4 on which the Allroad is based is almost
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By Eric Peters 400 pounds lighter. Hence the A4’s significantly better EPA rating — 24 city and 32 highway —with the same engine To be fair, the Allroad is heavier because it’s larger, and because it’s AWD.
On The Road What you’ve got here is a compromise (a good one) between notched-up poor weather tenacity, and handling on nice days on paved roads that’s still pretty good, too. The main reasons for this being the extra inch-and-ahalf or so of ground clearance (vs. the A4) and more all-seasony tires. Plus, of course, the standard Quattro all-wheel-drive. The Allroad has the capability to tackle most roads, in most weather. It’s a great snowday car. But don’t view it as a potential offroad car, because it’s not set up for that. Chiefly because while it does sit higher off the ground than something like the A4 sedan (or BMW 3 wagon), it does not sit as high as something like a BMW X3 crossover (8.3 inches of clearance). But, the upside to that compromise is the Allroad’s closer-to-sportwagon handling when on the road. It’s very close, in fact, to the less bad-weather-able BMW 3 wagon, which offers AWD but which hasn’t got that essential extra inch or so of clearance that can make or break your day when the white stuff starts falling hard and it’s 20 miles yet to the safety of your garage. You could notch it up a little more by having a set of Blizzaks (or similar hard-core winter tire) mounted come November and swap back the more aggressive dry/wet weather treads when April rolls around. Changing tires is relatively cheap - and very easy - way to alter what a car can deal with and do. Much easier and a whole lot cheaper than changing ride height or suspension settings, which usu-
AUTO ally means major suspension work. The Allroad’s 2.0 engine is peppy enough, but it’s also pretty thirsty. Audi, like BMW, like Benz, like pretty much everyone in the business, is going over to small fours goosed by turbos, in order to push up the EPA stats (and avoid gas guzzler fines). But, here’s the catch. A small, turbocharged engine can be fairly fuel efficient if you keep your foot out of it. Once you put your foot down, and the turbo spools up, you have effectively increased the engine’s displacement (its capacity to move air and fuel) and, no, surprise, it will use more fuel. During the week I had the Allroad, I averaged low 20s. That’s pretty hoggy for a compact with a 2.0 liter four. In a very real way, these small-size turbo fours are mechanical straw men set up for the benefit of the EPA and for the sake of marketing and PR. I have found that there is very little meaningful difference between the real-world gas mileage you get with a non-turbocharged V-6 in the 3 liter-ish range and a turbo four in the 2.0 liter range.
had an A4, it would have been much more difficult and maybe not doable at all. Of course, it helps when the wagon looks good, too, as the Allroad surely does. Because the A4 on which it’s based also looks good. The Allroad’s designers took that package and did not ruin its proportions. The Allroad is only slightly longer overall than the A4 (185.9 inches vs. 185.1) and just a touch wider (72.5 inches vs. 71.9 inches). Interestingly, the Allroad’s wheelbase is slightly less (110.4 inches vs. 110.6) yet despite the nominal size increase overall (and despite the slight decrease in wheelbase) the Allroad has more than twice the cargo capacity behind its second row vs. what the A4 offers in its trunk: 27.6 cubic feet vs. 12.4 (with the Allroad’s second row folded down, total capacity swells to 50.5 cubic feet). Courtesy of the taller profile, you’ll also get more headroom — a lot more: 40.4 inches in the Allroad vs. a duck-and-cover 36.9 inches in the A4. Same deal for the second row: 38.2 inches for the Allroad’s backseaters vs. 37.5 in the A4. Front and rearseat legroom is identical in both cars, 41.3 inches and 35.2 inches, respectively.
At The Curb I like wagons. I like them more than sedans. Especially sportwagons. What’s not to like, after all? You lose little to nothing in the way of driving dynamics and you gain versatility that makes the car a lot more everyday useful. You can, for example, cart around the family dog without having him tear up the car or take up space that might be needed by people. You can also cart around stuff that would be harder, even impossible, for a sedan (with a sedan's limited trunk space) to deal with. I used the Allroad to get a fairly large appliance home from Lowes. If I’d
The Rest Unlike some of the other winter-wagons that have cropped up in recent years — the Volvo XC series, for example — the Allroad’s body cladding is not pontoon-ish and cartoonish, and you can elect to have it painted the same color as the rest of the car. Or, not. In two-tone, it looks distinctive. In monochrome, it looks slick. Take your pick. But, be prepared to pay. The monochromatic look adds $1,000 to the sticker price. The Multi Media Interface (MMI) you use
to do things like adjust fan speed or temperature, or change the radio station, is a bit on the overdone side. What ought to be a single-step operation is in several cases a multi-step operation. To alter the fan speed, for example, you must first push the little fan button and then rotate the knob to dial it up or down (a digital display appears to show you the gradations). Then, if you want to change the temperature either hotter or colder, you have to first tap the control for that, then adjust the temperature settings. Another cause for applause: All trims come standard with a panorama sunroof with fulllength, power-actuated sunshade - a feature that is usually optional and mucho extra cost. You can up the ante with three-zone climate control (with defrosters for the back quarter glass), Wi-Fi access and a superb Bang & Olufsen 14-speaker ultra-premium stereo rig.
The Bottom Line The Allroad is just the ticket for people who live in areas where there are winters and snow, but not too much, too often, of either. Three hundred sixty days out of the year, you’ve got the Sportwagon Experience. But on those three to five days each year when the weather’s really vile, you'll probably get where you have to go. Eric Peters is the author of Automotive Atrocities” and “Road Hogs” and a former editorial writer /columnist for The Washington Times, a contributor to Cars.Com, The CarConnection. com and SD METRO.
2014 Audi Allroad Specifications: Base price: Base price: $40,700; as tested $52,695
( with MMI, Driver Assist and Premium Plus packages). Engine: 2.0 liter turbocharged four, 220 132 hp. Transmission: Eight speed automatic Length: 185.9 inches Width: 72.5 inches
Wheelbase: 110.4 inches Curb weight: 3,891 lbs.
Luggage capacity: 27.6 cubic feet (50.5 with second row folded).
EPA fuel economy: 20 city/27 highway
Where assembled: Ingolstdadt, Germany
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LEADERSHIP
San Diego Presents the Visionary Awards San Diego will host the 12th annual Visionary Awards, Southern California’s premier leadership recognition event, May 22 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The awards honor individuals and their work to improve the San Diego/Northern Baja California region. The Honorees:
Ron Fowler The Neil Morgan Award for Lifetime Achievement
Task Force on Padres Planning, the San Diego Super Bowl Task Force, and the Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committee. Yolanda Walther-Meade LEAD Graduate of the Year
versity of San Diego as well as on the boards of numerous organizations, including The Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, San Diego Natural History Museum and LEAD San Diego. Judith Harris • Mel Katz Katie Sullivan Ronald Kendrick Memorial Award for Regional Collaboration
The Neil Morgan Award, named for the retired San Diego newspaper editor and journalist, is awarded annually to individuals who have provided long-term quality leadership in the region. Ron Fowler, chairman and CEO of Liquid Investments Inc. and executive chairman of the San Diego Padres, will be honored for his years of contributions to thecommunity, particularly in the areas of higher education, athletics and entrepreneurship. He is chair of the University of San Diego’s board of trustees and a trustee at his alma mater, the University of St. Thomas. Fowler served as founding chair of the Entrepreneurial Management Center and The Campanile Foundation at San Diego State University. Fowler is one of the owners of the San Diego Padres and has held leadership roles with the San Diego Sports Commission/Hall of Champions, the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the Mayor’s
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The LEAD Graduate of the Year award is presented to a graduate of LEAD San Diego’s flagship issues-focused education program who epitomizes excellence in community leadership. Yolanda Walther-Meade has been an active philanthropist and community catalyst in the San Diego and Tijuana communities for many years. She is founder and vice president of international relations of the Fundación Internacional de la Comunidad, Baja California’s first community foundation. Walther-Meade is also a board member of the Club de Niños y Niñas in Tijuana, a founder and advisory member of the Comité México, a Mexican alumni organization at University of San Diego, and she sits on the advisory board of International Community Foundation. In the past, she has served as a trustee at Uni-
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The Ronald Kendrick Memorial Award for Regional Collaboration is named for the late banking executive and community leader. It is presented in recognition of visionary leadership as demonstrated through coalescing diverse communities, focusing on collaborative approaches to shared resources, synergies and problemsolving skills for positive regional outcomes. Judith Harris, Mel Katz and Katie Sullivan are honored in recognition of their collaboration in advocacy and fundraising for the newly established Central Library in Downtown San Diego. Judith Harris is immediate past chair of the San Diego Public Library Foundation and has been involved in our community for more than 25 years. Mel Katz, executive officer of Manpower-San Diego, has chaired numerous community
LEADERSHIP
organizations including the Public Library Commission, the Library Foundation, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego Convention Center Corp. Katie Sullivan serves as vice chair of the board of the San Diego Public Library Foundation and sits on the city of San Diego Board of Library Commissioners.
J. Craig Venter Economic Opportunity Award The Economic Opportunity Award recognizes visionary leaders who create economic opportunities that, absent their efforts, might not otherwise exist. J. Craig Venter is honored in recognition of his fundamental role in developing the San Diego region as a biotechnology hub. Venter is founder, chairman and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit research organization with 300 scientists and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant, synthetic and environmental genomic research, as well as the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics. He is also founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics Inc., a privately held company dedicated to commercializing genomic-driven solutions to address global needs such as new sources of energy, new
food and nutritional products, and nextgeneration vaccines. Venter is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, public honors and scientific awards, including the 2008 United States National Medal of Science and the 2002 Gairdner Foundation International Award.
munication and development and recognizes visionary leadership in addressing joint solutions to cross-border issues, further uniting San Diego and Baja California for a common future. Honoree Mary Lindenstein Walshok is an author, educator, researcher and associate vice chancellor for public programs and dean of Extension at UC San Diego. Walshok is an industrial sociologist studying the dynamics of regional economic transformation, with a particular focus on how globalization and rapid changes in technology are affecting social dynamics and economic challenges of various regions. She is currently engaged in research on binational innovation dynamics. A co-founder of San Diego Dialogue in the late 1990s, a program focused on opportunities in the San Diego-Tijuana region, Walshok currently serves on the boards of Connect (which she helped found in 1985).
Mary Lindenstein Walshok The Charles Nathanson Memorial Award for Cross-Border Region Building The Charles Nathanson award is named for the late champion of cross-border com-
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A I R T R AV E L
Lindbergh Field Passenger Traffic Sets Another Record Number of international travelers jump by 21.5 percent International passenger traffic at San Diego International Airport set a record in 2013 for the second consecutive year, increasing 21.5 percent over 2012 with 627,596 total international passengers served, according to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. Total passenger traffic at the airport in 2013 reached its highest level since 2008, with 17,710,241 passengers served. That represents a 2.7 percent increase compared to 2012. In 2013, airlines serving the airport carried passengers to and from 47 domestic and eight international nonstop destina-
tions. The international passenger record was driven by nonstop service between San Diego and Tokyo (Japan Airlines), London (British Airways), Cabo San Lucas (Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines), Mexico City (Volaris), Calgary (WestJet), and Toronto (Air Canada). Last year was the first full year the Global Entry system was in place at the airport, further enhancing international service at the airport, the Airport Authority said. Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program allowing expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the U.S.
Terminal 2 at the San Diego International Airport.
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Beyond passenger numbers, air cargo operators carried 162,353 tons of cargo and mail to and from Lindbergh Field in 2013, a 4.3 percent increase over the previous year. The number of flight operations showed a slight increase of 0.9 percent for the year to 187,935; an average of just under 515 operations a day. A detailed report of SDIA air traffic statistics can be downloaded from the airport’s website at: www.san.org/sdia/at_the_airport/education/airport_statistics.aspx
BIOTECH
San Diego Institutions to Take Part in New Center for Stem Cell Genomics Salk Institute is a principal investigator A team bringing together experts and investigators from seven different major California institutions — five from San Diego — has been awarded $40 million to create a new Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics, by California’s stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The Center of Excellence consists of Stanford University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies as the joint principal investigators. UC San Diego, the Scripps Research Institute, the J. Craig Venter Institute and Illumina Inc., all in San Diego, will collaborate on the project; UC Santa Cruz will run the data coordination and management component. The Center of Excellence will focus on bridging the fields of genomics -- studying the complete genetic make-up of a cell or organism -- with stem cell research. The goal is to use these tools to gain a deeper understanding of the disease processes in cancer, diabetes, heart disease and mental health, and ultimately to try and find safer and more effective ways of using stem cells in medical research and therapy. “This Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics shows why we are considered one of the global leaders in stem cell research,” says Alan Trounson, president of the stem cell agency. “Bringing together this team, to do this kind of work means we will be better able to understand how stem cells change as they grow and become different kinds of cells. That deeper knowledge, that you can only get through a genomic analysis of the cells, will help us develop better ways of using these cells to come up with new treatments for deadly diseases.” The award includes $19 million for the center team to carry out independent and collaborative projects including investigating disease mechanisms and the development of new technologies for this kind of work. The Data Coordination and Management program will enable the research to be shared with other investigators around California and the world. The stem cell agency’s governing board, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, also approved more than $27 million in funding for the Basic Biology V awards that go to researchers trying to advance the field by tackling significant, unresolved issues in human stem cell biology. The awards include $1.1 million to Dr. Christian Metallo from the UC San Diego to study how human neural or brain nerve stem cells can help people recover from a stroke. Others receiving awards: • $1.1 million to Dr. Gary Steinberg, a neurologist at Stanford University, to study how human neural or brain nerve stem cells can help people recovering from a stroke. • $624,816 to Dr. Paul Noble, director of the Lung Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, to identify the mechanisms needed for stem cells to help repair damage to lungs.
“These awards reflect the breadth of what we do at the stem cell agency,” says Jonathan Thomas, chair of the governing board. “Funding the Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics highlights our commitment to advancing the field with the most cutting edge approaches, and our Basic Biology awards show we remain committed to deepening our understanding of every aspect of stem cells. Only by this deeper understanding at the basic level can we hope to advance research at more advanced levels.” The meeting also saw the swearing in of two new board members – Lauren Miller as the patient advocate for Alzheimer’s and Joe Panetta as the representative for the biotech industry.
Family owned since 1979. Owner Tony D'Amato and chef Domenico Alioto.
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Great Italian cuisine, osso buco, swordfish oreganato and much more.
Now serving lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m
1955 West Morena Boulevard, San Diego 92110
(619) 275-2094
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T H E AT E R
‘Cats’ Comes to the Birch San Diego Musical Theatre opens 2014 season on March 21 Since “Cats” first opened on London’s West End stage in 1981, it has become one of the world’s best known and best loved musicals and has grossed over $1 billion. San Diego Musical Theatre has chosen the musical as its first production of 2014 in the Birch North Park Theatre. The production runs March 21 through April 6. Based on the universally popular poetry of T.S. Eliot, “Cats” tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. A true musical theatre phenomenon, “Cats” ran for a record-setting 21 years at the West End stage. It’s London success was nearly matched on Broadway where it ran at the Wintergarden Theatre for just over 18 years. With a plot based on T.S Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” and awardwinning music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Cats,” originally directed by Trevor Nunn, has since been presented in more than 20 countries and in about 250 cities, including such diverse destinations as Buenos Aires, Seoul, Helsinki and Singapore. Wrote New York Times reviewer Frank Rich: “It’s a musical that transports the audience into a complete fantasy world that could only exist in the theater and yet rarely does. ‘Cats’ believes in purely theatrical magic, and on that faith it unquestionably delivers.” Schedule: “Cats” show times are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets: Single tickets are $26, $36, $46 and $56. Children 16 years and under receive a $10 discount. Seniors 65 years and older receive a $5 discount.
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The Creative Team • “Cats” director James Vasquez directed “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show” and provided musical staging for “Boeing-Boeing” and last summer’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Old Globe Theatre. Vasquez’s feature film directorial debut, “Ready? OK!” won several Best Film awards at national/international film festivals. The latest, “That’s What She Said,” premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School. • Janet Renslow currently works as a choreographer maintaining many of the shows at The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. She is responsible for the early stages of creative development in new live entertainment working directly with production teams. She cel ebrated a multiple awardwinning successful run of “Miss Saigon” and was awarded Best Direction & Best Choreography by Inland Theatre League for her work on “Annie.” • Musical director Don Le Master received the Outstanding Musical Direction award at the 2007 Theater Critic Circle Awards for San Diego Musical Theatre’s inaugural production “The Full Monty” and a nomination for “A Chorus Line.” Most recently, he was seen onstage, conducting the Musical
James Vasquez directs ‘Cats.’
Theatre orchestra in “White Christmas.” • Matthew Novotny is lighting designer. Janet Pitcher is costume coordinator. Stanley Cohen is stage manager. For the rest of the year, the San Diego Musical Theatre will present “Annie Get Your Gun” May 9-25, “Next to Normal” Sept. 26-Oct. 12 and “White Christmas Dec. 11-21.
‘Cats’ has been presented in more than 20 countries. Here, makeup is applied to an actor in a German production.
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R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W
B A N DA R R E S TA U R A N T A Persian / American Dream
Traditional and family recipes served in the Gaslamp Quarter Stories about Iran fill newspapers. Most of them are very negative, describing the country as repressive, denying many basic freedoms to its citizens. When the Ayatollas were about to come to power, may Iranian people fled and emigrated just in time to the United States. Many settled in Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles and San Diego. There, through hard work, many began to experience the benefits that America’s opportunities make possible. One great example of achieving the American dream — building on opportunity — can be found in Behrooz Faharani, the owner of Bandar Restaurant, located in the Gaslamp. “I wanted to provide a better life for my family and saw great possibilities in San Diego,” he said. Trained as an architect, he was giving up a shot at a good career in Iran to uproot his family — his wife and two daughters — to make the move.
By David Rottenberg
When he arrived, he worked in the restaurant business. Ambitious to succeed and to provide for his family, he decided to go into business for himself. He found a location across from Horton Plaza. He used his architectural training to create an interior that reflects the ambiance of Persian culture while, at the same time, providing modern amenities. His design concepts mix the traditional with the ultra-chic, modern and sophisticated. His restaurant, Bandar Restaurant (“bandar” means “harbor” or “haven” in Persian) serves traditional and family recipes. Farahani actually did much of the work in the kitchen during the early days. The restaurant is a “family affair.” His wife and daughters often act as hostesses, seating guests. Even today, when he has a large staff, Farahani spends most of his time supervising everything. The cuisine at Bandar is delicious and exotic yet familiar because it combines so many elements of other Middle Eastern dishes.
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R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W
The biggest casino in the Caribbean,
Folded flatbread is unique, thin, soft and folded in layers. The appetizers feature yogurt, eggplant, hummus and dolmeh (stuffed grape leaves), presented in a number of ways. Eggplant is combined with fresh onion, garlic and yogurt. A Cucumber Dip combines the vegetable with yogurt and mint. Hummus, so wonderful with the flatbread, is made of pureed garbanzo beans blended with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. A salad is often served before the entrees arrive. The ice cold mixed greens, topped with feta, are made even tastier by the amazingly light but absolutely flavorful special house dressing, made with lemon juice. Persian entrees often include a long grain rice that can be combined with small bits of fruit. These include raisins, dates, cherries and pomegranate seeds. Spices includes saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and turmeric. My favorite dishes are the chicken, served with wonderful rice. Adas Polo has marinated large round chunks of chicken and rice that is mixed with lentils and dates. The rice with Albalu Polo has black cherries mixed in, offering sweetness to the dish. Bring a healthy appetite for Chicken Soltani, where large chunks of chicken and also of ground beef are served with rice. Lamb Shank offers the whole
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Savory Steak Shish Kabob
shank (great for lovers of marrow). Kebabs present chicken, lamb, fish or beef grilled on skewers, along with grilled vegetables. Fesenjan is an exotic combination of simmered chicken in sweet pomegranate sauce with crushed walnuts. Bandar Restaurant has won numerous awards and has been named “Best Persian Restaurant” more than 12 times. It is one of my personal favorite places to dine. It is an ideal example of how Behrooz Faharani and his family are living the American dream, achieving their potential and becoming the best. Bandar Restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. It is located at 845 Fourth Ave. in the Gaslamp Quarter. Call (619) 2380101 for information and reservations.
Behrooz Faharani and his family.
David Rottenberg is a member of the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association and past vice president of the North American Travel Journalists Association. © 2014 David Rottenberg All Rights Reserved Hummus Classic
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T R AV E L
A VISIT TO ATLANTIS CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE KID KIND By David Rottenberg If the fabled continent of Atlantis should rise up out of the waves, it might look like Atlantis on Paradise Island. With its coral-colored buildings, strange rooftops (even with leaping marlins facing each other) and an iconic main building consisting of two halves connected by a bridge, Atlantis on Paradise Island creates an impression of erupting from another time, another place, another world. Atlantis on Paradise Island is an upscale resort that offers something for everyone. For adults, it offers thousands of comfortable hotel rooms, suites and condominium-type living spaces. More than 21 fine dining and casual dining venues make sure one never need go hungry. Nighttime entertainment includes music and dancing, a theater and a comedy club, in addition to bars and lounges. The biggest casino in the Caribbean, decorated with enormous Chihuly chandeliers, allows many opportunities to tempt the gods of chance. A large spa features a choice of thera-
pies for personal pampering. A fitness center and tennis court keeps athletes in shape. The challenging Tom Weiskopfdesigned Ocean Club Golf Course makes golfers happy. The resort is lush with vegetation, verdant with lagoons and pools. It boasts of white soft sand beaches and a series of interconnected pools for cooling down when the sun gets too hot. It has ocean views that go on forever. In short, the property is dazzling. Paradise Island is in the Bahamas, connected to Nassau by two bridges. Nassau has become a popular cruise stop for many Caribbean cruise operators, usually on the way back to a U.S. home port . Unfortunately, at this point in time, when one has tired of island beaches and ubiquitous tourist shopping traps, there really isn’t that much to do in Nassau, even for a few hours of disembarkation. So, many cruise passengers opt for a day pass to Atlantis because, even though it is very expensive, it is a unique and fascinating destination, particularly for kids. Visitors check in and get tagged with
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The biggest casino in the Caribbean,
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ID’s to make sure they don’t wander into areas reserved for resident guests. Mostly, they have access to the pools and beaches on the property. None of the pools or lagoons are particularly deep, so kids can have a good time in a safe environment. Parents and grandparents with kids in tow off the cruise ships can enjoy the relaxing day. It is the adventures, however, that justify the price of admission. Atlantis, true to its name, has amazing water slides and aquariums that can leave adults and children thrilled and spellbound. The Leap of Faith water slide, for example, takes a leap of faith as guests ride a nearly vertical 60-foot drop at high speed through a clear acrylic tunnel submerged in a shark-filled lagoon. It is amazing to watch a huge shark swim by as you glide through the water. The top of the slide looks like an ancient Mayan Temple, adding to the “human sacrifice” apprehensions. Guests can even race each other down one of the adjacent water slides and then check their speeds on the time clocks at the bottom to see who won. Small children can enjoy a special slide area built for them, ending in a pool only three feet deep. Kids can have close encounters with a large variety of sea creatures, creating thrilling and educational experiences. In Dolphin Cay, kids can interact with dolphins and sea lions, even hug and kiss them. There is also a “trainer” program where kids can work with the pros in close proximity while learning about the animals. Kids can touch, interact with and feed sting rays in several lagoons on the property. Walk down a flight of stairs and step into a tunnel that goes to The Dig, a simulated archeological excavation complete with turn of the century tools that looks like a scientist found and is reclaiming that eponymous fabled kingdom. An old-fashioned deep sea diving suit directs attention onto the glass walls of an enormous sea life aquarium. Huge sharks, mantas, eels and other amazing creatures swim by close enough to touch, but for the glass. One giant manta casually “flapped its wings” to glide through the water, revealing a wing span of perhaps 15 feet. The Dig is an exciting simulation that can excite kids’ imaginations. Walk up another staircase and enter the enormous lobby, with Egyptian-like pillars, huge domes and colorful frescos that reflect ancient themes. Atlantis on Paradise Island was developed and expanded to its current size by Sol Kerzner, a successful South African hotelier, who operates properties worldwide. Among other brands, he controls The One And Only chain of hotels in exotic locations. He built another similar Atlantis in Dubai and one is under development in China. Guests staying at the property have access to the many attractions located at Atlantis. It can be less expensive, with all the deals offered online, to hop a plane and stay at Atlantis and to enjoy leisurely all that it offers. But, even with just a day pass, there are many things that adults and children can enjoy. For kids, it can be a great opportunity to have “close encounters of the kid kind” with archeology, mythology and amazing sea life.
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Gigantic pool attracts adults and children.
Lobby of Atlantis.
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S E C T I O NU.S. POSTAGE TITLE Presort Standard PAID PERMIT NO. 751 SAN DIEGO, CA
100% Prime
