January 11, 2013
On the Internet at www.MissionValleyNews.com
Volume VII – Number 1
Courtyard Sale Indicates Market Improvement
Photo by Miguel Rico
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By Dave Schwab
local hotel industry analyst thinks the recent approximately-$85-million sale of the 317-room Courtyard San Diego Mission Valley/Hotel Circle by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels to private investment group Carey Watermark Investors could be a sign of things to come. “The market is strong,” said Bob Rauch, president of R.A. Rauch & Associates, Inc. a
Welcoming Students to School By Genevieve A. Suzuki
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azareth School in Mission Valley wants its students to hang around. What was once a rather forbidding school front was remodeled into a gathering space that invites students to enjoy a sense of community. Since the redesign, which was completed in time for the fall 2012 term, students
Chargers, changing of the guard Page 14
principal with London Group Realty Advisors, referring to the timing of Courtyard Mission Valley’s sale. “It is a trend that we will see a lot of in 2013 because interest rates are so low, and there’s upside ahead in the hotel market.” Rauch said what may have spurred the hotel’s sale, and could presage the sale of other hotels See COURTYARD page 10
now happily meet in the courtyard. “The children are excited about our new community space,” said Dr. Colleen Mauricio, the principal of the private Catholic school serving more than 270 kindergarten through eighth-grade students. “They ask if they can go out to the courtyard to do activities or to read. … The courtyard helps them to expand their classrooms.” The entrance redesign is just one of two phases for Nazareth School. After deciding to expand and update the school auditorium, Nazareth School officials realized they needed to provide an entrance to the area that was more user-friendly and compatible with current ADA regulations. The school hired domusstudio architecture to transform the school entrance from a closed-off area into a more welcoming space. Originally constructed in 1970, the school building sits five feet above the parking lot and was surrounded by 5-footSee Nazareth page 4
Refreshing fare at Luce Bar & Kitchen Page 6
San Diego River Discovery Center Raises $120,000
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he San Diego River Park Foundation met 2013 with at least one goal accomplished. After launching a drive to raise $60,000 by Dec. 31 to complete design and permitting for the Discovery Center and Grant Park, the foundation not only met its goal within its deadline, but also received a matching $60,000 gift from the Grant family, making the total raised $120,000. The foundation, a community-based grassroots non-profit organization founded in 2001, relies on donations and support from the community for its general operation as well as grants, both public and private. The concept for the Discovery Center is a 7,000-to-8,000-squarefoot facility along the banks of the San Diego River, surrounded by a community and nature-based park. The total project would comprise the 17 acres at Qualcomm Way donated by the Grant family. The facility, or education center, will include a research center, classrooms, educational displays, and community meeting and event space. Three public art projects are included as well as a proposed 100-plus seat outdoor venue, green
Assemblyperson Toni Atkins receives key assignments Page 4
See River page 10