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Trolley’s UTC Extension Could Deliver for Malls and Shoppers

Heavy-duty shoppers (of which I am not one) could see at least one big new benefit when San Diego’s trolley system makes its way to the University Towne Center area around 2021. It’s the chance to visit two of the area’s major malls via one trip on mass transit — or three malls with a transfer.

When the $2.1 billion Mid-coast Trolley extension reaches a new transit station next-door to the Westfield UTC mall, riders will be able to go straight from San Ysidro to UTC via the trolley’s Blue Line, with no transfers.

That means those who still crave the brick-and-mortar shopping mall experience, and don’t mind lugging packages on the train, could travel to the current San Ysidro Transit Center at the border for some shop-time at the nearby Las Americas Premium Outlets, then hop back on the trolley for a trip straight to Westfield UTC.

Trolley shoppers could turbo-boost the experience by transferring at Old Town or downtown San Diego to the Green Line, for a detour to Fashion Valley or other trolley-adjacent Mission Valley retail stops, without the hassle of finding a parking spot during holiday season.

Well before the opening of a new Metropolitan Transit System terminus station next-door (to be built over Genesee Avenue via raised platforms), Westfield UTC by this time next year will look significantly different from its layout of just five years ago, let alone its debut in 1977.

Westfield Corp. is currently in the midst of a $585 million expansion, after completing a $120 million renovation in 2012. The current phase includes a new home for a relocating Nordstrom, with the addition of more than 250,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a new event space and a multilevel parking garage.

Reached via email, a Westfield spokeswoman said construction remains on schedule for an October 2017 completion, but the company was not yet ready to announce upcoming tenants. She said the mall operator is generally in the process of filling the new spaces with “first-to-market retailers and high-end, chef-driven restaurants.”

At completion, Westfield UTC will have a palm-lined valet drop-off area with a contemporary “arrival lounge.” There will also be three new water features accenting new open-air courts.

The mall recently saw the quiet arrival of Amazon Books, and a less-quiet debut of a new Lego toy store that drew more than 600 customers to its opening-weekend festivities. By the end of this month, it will see the opening of a Nespresso coffee venue, in its center court near Palm Plaza.

• • •

Brokerage Firm Makes Fortune Workplace List: San Diego-based commercial brokerage firm Hughes Marino Inc. recently placed at No. 7 on Fortune magazine’s annual list of the nation’s top 50 best small workplaces. The ranking is based on survey feedback from more than 52,000 workers nationwide, obtained by the magazine and consulting firm Great Place to Work and gauging variables such as office culture, morale, communication and leadership.

Led by President and CEO Jason Hughes, the downtown-based company is focused on tenant representation and employs 61 people at five offices.

Also making this year’s Fortune workplace rankings were San Diego’s Coastal Payroll Services, which placed at No. 29 on the list of the top 50 small businesses; and Renovate America Inc., which came in at No. 40 on the magazine’s list of the top 100 medium-sized companies.

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Local Brewer Buys Former Twisted Manzanita Site: San Diego beer-maker Groundswell Brewing Co. recently announced on its Facebook page that it has purchased the Santee facilities that formerly housed Twisted Manzanita Ales & Spirits, at 10151 Prospect Ave. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Twisted Manzanita closed its Santee brewing operations earlier this year, with officials saying at the time that the company might continue as a spirits-only company. However, the craft beer news publication West Coaster recently reported that Twisted Manzanita has vacated both its Santee main facility and its satellite tasting room in Pacific Beach. There were no indications at press time of a return to production by Twisted Manzanita.

Led by President and CEO Kevin Rhodes, Groundswell Brewing was founded in 2013 and is currently located at 6304 Riverdale St. in San Diego’s Grantville neighborhood. The brewer plans to relocate its brewing operations to Santee once it receives its license approval, and retain the Grantville space as a satellite tasting room.

• • •

More Restaurant Arrivals: Florida-based Checkers Drive-in Restaurants Inc. recently announced ambitious plans to add 68 franchised Checkers and Rally’s eateries in San Diego County over the next seven years, though locations have not been announced. The company has five current locations in the region, overseen by San Diego franchisee Bruce Ong.

In downtown San Diego’s East Village, the fast-casual Como Ceviche recently opened at 317 10th Ave., serving seafood items in the mode of cuisine found in Peru, Mexico and Cuba. It is operated by co-founders Johan Engman and William Lopez.

Engman previously founded Rise + Shine Restaurant Group and owns the popular local Fig Tree Café and

Breakfast Republic restaurants.

Breakfast Republic recently signed a $1.54 million, 10-year lease for a space at 251 El Camino Real in Encinitas, according to the tenant’s brokers, Bo Havlik and Victor Aquilina of Lee & Associates. The restaurant has existing locations in North Park and Liberty Station, with another set to open soon in Carmel Valley.

In San Diego’s Miramar neighborhood, Jersey Mike’s Subs recently opened at 6906 Miramar Road, operated by local franchisees Cathy and Mike Brown. It is the 36th San Diego County location for the New Jersey-based sandwich chain.

Send commercial real estate and development news of general local interest to Lou Hirsh via email at lhirsh@sdbj.com. He can be reached at 858-277-8904.

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