San Diego Downtown News, August, 2009

sandiego H2O SESEECTBION DOWNTOWN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

AUGUST 2009

San Diego Community Newspaper Group

www.SDNEWS.com Volume 10, Number 8

Flying high New Airport Authority chief: ‘A rising tide helps all boats’ BY ANTHONY GENTILE | DOWNTOWN NEWS

Bob Watkins has reached new heights with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. On July 27, Mayor Jerry Sanders appointed the local businessman chair of the Airport Authority’s board of directors. “I’ve always brought to the table the thought process of how does this impact business and how can business impact the future of San Diego,” Watkins said. “So economic development is a major suit of mine.” Watkins replaces Alan Bersin, who left the position in April to become border czar for the Obama administration. Watkins has been acting chair since May and has been a member of the board since 2006. Watkins has been doing business in San Diego since 1980. He is founder, president and chairman of R.J. Watkins & Company and owns a venture-capital firm that invests in local businesses. Watkins currently serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. “I think that a rising tide helps Bob Watkins all boats,” Watkins said. “If we can keep our economic business engine moving forward, then San Diego’s continued growth will have a balanced economy.” Watkins said he approaches Lindbergh Field issues from a business perspective. He said the airport is catalyst for San Diego, providing nearly $10 billion a year in economic development. “I see it as another part of this linkage of business, economic development and activity in the region,” Watkins said. “It facilitates business activity on many fronts.” Watkins hopes to make Lindbergh more efficient and accessible to passengers and airlines. In the short term, he said, this means completing “The Green Build”—an $865 million terminal development project scheduled to be completed in 2013. “The Green Build” will add 10 gates to the airport and will free up more land for airplane parking. “Moving those planes over to the other side of the airport during traffic times becomes a little tricky,” Watkins said. “By building out the parking area on the airport for airplanes to be on the same side of the terminals, it will help ease the congestion and add to the efficiency of the airport.” SEE BOB, Page 3

Like the superheroes whose likenesses grace Downtown by the hundreds every summer, the fervor for San Diego’s (and the world’s) favorite pop culture event refuses to die. True to all predictions, about 125,000 attended this year’s Comic-Con International installment at the San Diego Convention Center on July 22-26, replete with counterculture and sci-fi movie promotions, topic-savvy panelists and, of course, a bunch of scary guys like the one at right. From its humble beginnings at the U.S. Grant Hotel in 1970, the Con may be getting too big for San Diego; there’s talk it may move to L.A. when its convention center contract ends in 2012. But “big” isn’t part of the vocabulary among the replicas at bottom. There are so many of ’em that they could probably hold a Comic-Con of their own. PHOTOS BY PAUL HANSEN | DOWNTOWN NEWS

Peavy trade saves payroll and little else BY MARTIN JONES WESTLIN | DOWNTOWN NEWS

Area lore has it that on Friday, Aug. 1, the agent for Padres pitcher Jake Peavy woke his client from a nap to tell him a trade to the Chicago White Sox was his for the taking—all Jake had to do was waive his no-trade clause, part of his $11 million contract for 2009. Acknowledging that he likely won’t play out his San Diego contract, the 2007 Cy Young winner, hobbled by a tendon tear in his right ankle, said yes to the Sox deal, just as he’d said no in May. Chicago, which is contending for the American League Central title, is now on the hook for Peavy’s salary. The compensation rises incrementally to a high of $17 million in 2012, with a $22 team option the following year. And the Padres get four pitching prospects out of the transaction – presuming even two of them develop nicely, it’s a cinch the Dads will come out ahead in the deal. But right now, it’s Peavy’s $11 million that looms large for the Padres’ money men. It’s nearly one-third the

Jake Peavy and his torn tendon are totally trekkin’ to that toddlin’ town. FILE PHOTO | DOWNTOWN NEWS

entire team payroll of $37 million, which ranks 28th out of 30 franchises (the New York Yankees have the largest, with nearly $210 million). It also helps illustrate the topheavy feel to the club’s salary roster. Right fielder Brian Giles, pitchers Chris Young and

Heath Bell and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez command about $17 million of the remaining compensation, leaving only $9 million distributed between 16 players. SEE PEAVY, Page 3