Samuel “Sandy” Kahn
| Samuel J. "Sandy" Kahn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 21, 1954 La Jolla |
| Occupation | Real estate developer, attorney |
Samuel J. "Sandy" Kahn (born July 21, 1954) is an American real estate developer and investor most notable for his development projects in San Diego County. He is the son of the late Irvin Kahn, a major real estate developer involved in the growth of the City of San Diego in the 1950s & 1960s. Since the 1950s, the Kahn family has been involved in developing nearly 25% of all developable land in the City of San Diego.[1]
Kent Holdings & Great Western Mortgage
Sandy Kahn took control of the Kahn family real estate development business when his father died in 1973.[2] At the time, the Kahn family business interests were spread across dozens of individual corporations, with complicated ties to one another and to the Teamsters’ Pension Fund, which had invested heavily in Irvin Kahn’s development activities in the years before his death.[3] After his father's death, Kahn became the youngest owner of a major Las Vegas casino, the iconic Dunes Hotel Casino & Country Club.[4] In the process of settling the Estate, Sandy Kahn shut down or transferred many of his father's business entities, removing ties with Las Vegas and with the Teamsters’ Pension Fund, and eventually consolidating the remaining entities under Kent Holdings & Great Western Mortgage, both of which are still active today.[5][6] Prominent real estate development projects that the companies have been involved in developing include: Laurel Travel Center, The Chamber Building,[7] Borrego Springs Country Club, Murrieta Hot Springs, Aptos Seascape Corporation, Twin Peaks-Diamond Heights Redevelopment, Half Moon Inn, Shelter Island Inn, Rancho Peñasquitos, University City, Clairemont, and the Dunes Hotel Casino & Country Club.[4][8]
La Jolla development activities
Kahn was involved in several major real commercial developments in La Jolla during the 1980s, including Wall Street Plaza. He participated actively in the development of the La Jolla Planned District Ordinance, and is notable for being one of the first developers to voluntarily take steps to ensure that new commercial development in downtown La Jolla would remain in keeping with the historic character of the area.[9]
Laurel Travel Center controversy
Kahn is the former owner, developer and operator of the Laurel Travel Center, which became the center of a heated debate in the mid-1980s. Though built with proper permitting and FAA approval, the height of the parking garage and its proximity to the airport runway became the subject of a struggle between the Airline Pilots Association and the FAA over the authority to make building development decisions that might affect airplane safety. Kahn voluntarily placed additional hazard lights on the roof of the building, and rented the parking on the top of the building to airline pilots who owned luxury sports cars, stating that this was the best form of insurance against the building being hit by descending planes. Despite lengthy consideration by the FAA and the City of San Diego, the building was certified as safe and remains at its original height today.[10][11][12]
Law enforcement, civic and other activities
At an early age, Kahn pursued a career in law enforcement, joining the San Diego Sheriff’s office as reserve deputy and eventually reaching the rank of Captain.[13] Kahn served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Thomas Jefferson Law School from 2001 to 2010, and was instrumental in the development of the school’s new East Village campus.[14] He has also served on the County Board of Economic Advisors for San Diego County, was appointed by the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank to serve on the “Beige Book” survey committee, and is a licensed pilot.[15] He is currently Chairman Emeritis and Of Counsel to Thomas Jefferson School of Law and Chairman of the Board of DAMG Student Housing Partners, a subsidiary of DAMG Worldwide.[16][17]
References
- ↑ "Samuel J. Kahn - Biography" (PDF). Kent Holdings, Inc.
- ↑ Hume, Bill (April 15, 1975). "Falls Land Buyer Heavily Investigated". Albuquerque Journal.
- ↑ Barnes, Dick (July 25, 1970). "Daring risks paid by pension funds". Daily Review (Hayward CA).
- 1 2 "Irvin Kahn". San Diego Daily Transcript.
- ↑ Bergman, Lowell (May 8, 1974). "Kahn's Game: Billion Dollar Land Grab". Madison Capital Times.
- ↑ "Business Search". California Secretary of State.
- ↑ "William Krisel (and Dan Palmer)".
- ↑ "Eleanor B. Kahn (Obituary)". La Jolla Light. April 7, 2011.
- ↑ Kinchen, David (October 26, 1986). "Wall Street Plaza Blends with La Jolla's Ambiance". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Frammolino, Ralph (April 7, 1988). "Building Near San Diego Airport Called Hazard". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Frammolino, Ralph (July 22, 1988). "Pilots of Jumbo Jets Warned on Landings at Lindbergh Field". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Bernstein, Leonard (August 6, 1988). "Battle Against Building in Flight Path is Renewed". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Recognizing and Commending Mr. Samuel James 'Sandy' Kahn". Congressional Record Volume 150 Number 100. July 19, 2004.
- ↑ "Alonzo Award Presented to TJSL". Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Samuel J. 'Sandy' Kahn (Biography)" (PDF). Kent Holdings.
- ↑ "Who We Are". Business Associates International. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Our Team". DAMG Worldwide.