Two of only three social-issue proposals passed this year by shareholder activists were at San Diego companies.
Jack in the Box recently released a report on the company’s greenhouse gas emissions following efforts by investor activist group Accountability Board to get shareholder support for GHG transparency resolutions at three restaurant groups this year. The resolution at Jack in the Box passed with 56.6% support at the company’s shareholder meeting in March. A resolution at Wingstop, Inc. passed with 52.2%., but a resolution at Denny’s Corp. came up just shy with only 49.9% support.
With the release of its GHG report, Jack in the Box released a statement that the company will use the data as a baseline to “work with GHG subject matter experts” to help the company “identify meaningful and reasonable short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals to reduce” GHG emissions.
The local quick-service restaurant chain isn’t the only San Diego company to have shareholders pass an activist investor-led proposal. In May, shareholder activist John Chevedden led a successful campaign at Dexcom, passing a resolution with 51.9% support to disclose political spending policies and report who the company is supporting and with how much.
+++
San Diego’s East Village has emerged as an epicenter of sorts for World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024. The neighborhood’s UCSD Park & Market building is WDC’s headquarters and one of the marquis WDC 2024 experiences – Bay to Park Paseo, a 1.7 mile-long pedestrian route from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront through East Village up to Balboa Park.
Urban planner John Nolen first envisioned Paseo in 1908. For the WDC, co-creators Beth Callender and Pete Garcia of URBAN INTERVENTIONS and City of San Diego Arts Director Jonathon Glus employed more than 70 architects, landscape architects, urban planners, storytellers and artists to create 13 installations. Among them is the giant Hermes copper butterfly spanning the pedestrian bridge from the bayfront to Petco Park, created by Safdie Rabines Architects, designer of the original bridge.
The first free, public, guided tour of the Paseo was held Aug. 17. Two more are scheduled for Sept. 7 and 21, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Hilton Bayfront. Self-guided tours are free and open any day through November.
For more about East Village projects, check out this issue’s special real estate coverage of the neighborhood starting on page 19. Also, look for coverage of World Design Capital projects by reporter Ray Huard in next week’s issue.
+++
The City of San Diego is starting to get more serious about reviving the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. Earlier this month the city issued ROPs for the lease and renovation of the historic amphitheater, which was shuttered in 2010. The amphitheater was built by the Ford Motor Company to showcase its cars at the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition.
Rehabbing the 3,600-seat venue got a boost in 2022 with $500,000 in federal Community Project funding to update bathroom facilities and make ADA enhancements.
Proposals to lease the venue must be submitted to the city by 4 p.m. on Nov. 14.