Last week, our MacKenzie Elmer broke the news that Manchester Financial Group, namesake of prominent developer Doug Manchester, has been quietly pitching a large-scale data center on Navy-owned land near Old Town.
Several San Diego politicians protested. They had envisioned housing there and other mixed-use features like hotels and restaurants.
Now the Manchester Group has pledged that housing will be a “major part” of whatever final project emerges. The exact amount of housing is yet to be determined.
“This project could include thousands of multi-family homes for San Diegans,” wrote Ted Eldredge the company’s CEO in an email.
The proposed development site involves two plots of land — one roughly 47 acres and the other nearly 22 acres. The data center would be on the smaller piece of land if it makes it into the final project, a company representative said.
“Housing is going to be a major part of this project — it’s what helps make it feasible and we look forward to building the homes we need to address our region’s housing crisis,” Eldredge wrote.
Border Report: Quantifying the Reported ICE Surge
There’s been a flood of recent headlines about an apparent spike in immigration enforcement in San Diego ahead of the November election.
But as contributor Kate Morrissey explains in her latest Border Report, the data on ICE arrests that could show whether there’s a real surge is lagging.
The indicators we do have: Activists are flagging a big increase in enforcement and a map where people can report ICE sightings is seeing a surge in postings. ICE arrests reported by the agency had also been steadily rising as of the last data dump.
Meanwhile, community organizations and leaders are both stepping up and grappling with how to respond.
Read the full Border Report here.
San Diego 101 on the Hotel Heir Tied to Elizabeth Holmes
A new documentary about convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been getting lotsa buzz.
Among the hot topics: Holmes’ partner Billy Evans, a native San Diegan, who some are describing as the villain of the new doc. (Don’t worry, we won’t elaborate on this angle. We’ve only got one little spoiler we’ll warn you about.)
About the San Diego family business: Evans is an heir to his family’s hotel portfolio which include Mission Bay’s Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Hotel & Spa, plus the Lodge at Torrey Pines overlooking the golf course. Interestingly, the New York Times notes that the company recently issued a statement clarifying that Billy Evans “is not involved in the business in any way, as an employee or shareholder.”
Young Billy: WIRED reports that Evans attended the private Francis Parker School and later graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an economics degree. Then, according to the magazine, he tried to launch a startup and worked at multiple tech companies.
The coupling: Evans met Holmes in 2017 at a Bay Area Fleet Week event and later wrote that he was “captivated by her childish wonder and authenticity,” according to Entertainment Weekly. They got engaged the following year. It’s unclear if the couple is married but they now share two kids and Evans was at Holmes’ side throughout her federal fraud trial.
The other Bill Evans: Billy’s father Bill was also prominent at the trial. The elder Evans, for years one of the city’s most outspoken and influential hoteliers, is no stranger to headlines. Literal 2012 Voice of San Diego headline: “Bill Evans, Man of Influence.” The elder Evans’ made claims that he was a concerned citizen attending the trial rather than a family member, as NPR reported. He was chatty, told reporters his name was Hanson and loudly opened a Rice Krispie Treat in the courtroom. People has more details on the Evans family.
Evans’ eyebrow raising venture: Light spoiler alert warning. Evans has his own testing machine company – Haemanthus – which WIRED writes is “working to develop compact testing machines to analyze blood, urine and saliva.” Evans says it isn’t “Theranos 2.0.” NPR reported last year that Evans raised millions of dollars for the startup.
Save the Date: Post-Election Live Pod
Our Brews and News Live Podcast is happening soon on Tuesday, Nov. 10 and you won’t want to miss it!
Join Editor-in-Chief Scott Lewis, Managing Editor Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña, and reporters Bella Ross and Jakob McWhinney with special guests Julie Roland and Mason Herron at Soda Bar for a night of beer, conversation, and celebration. Bring a friend, have a pint and embrace your inner news nerd. There will be games!
When: Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104-1514
Tickets: $22.66 (Venue processing fees included).
Spots are limited. Grab your ticket now to be part of the celebration!
Reporter’s Circle and Editor’s Circle members (annual giving $500+) receive two free tickets. Email membership@voiceofsandiego.org to redeem your tickets.
In Other News
- El Niño storm predictions are pushing officials on both sides of the border to prepare for (and ideally avert) possible Tijuana River sewage disasters. Related: The county’s now has a bureaucrat focused on combating the yearslong crisis. (Union-Tribune, City News Service)
- As the city prepares to expand its Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, inewsource reports on its status as the “nation’s worst lead polluter.”
- Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton this past weekend pitched a statewide plan to address the homelessness crisis modeled on the Sunbreak Ranch concept that has been pitched San Diego. (KTLA)
- San Diego City Council unanimously approved Mayor Todd Gloria’s appointment of COO Bethany Bezak on Monday.
- The Union-Tribune reports that San Diego County’s civilian Juvenile Justice Commission is the latest organization of its kind to struggle in California, because no one is willing to fund it. (Union-Tribune)
- For months, cash-strapped local housing agencies have been rushing to try to keep families housed via a Covid-era voucher program. Now there’s a federal funding solution. (inewsource)
- As County Supervisor Jim Desmond campaigns to represent California’s 48th Congressional District, the former commercial airline pilot is flying a plane he bought from two longtime donors to traverse the large district. (Times of San Diego)
- The Union-Tribune dove into the race to replace termed-out Desmond on the county Board of Supervisors.
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.