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<p>A San Diego-based, Latino-owned construction management company is leading the way in a new chain of duty-free stores catering to border consumers.</p>
<p>Jaime Partners, a leading provider for program, project and construction management services, is serving as owner’s representative and construction manager and advisors for Duty Free City, a new chain of about 25 duty-free stores that will open throughout the United States southern and northern borders.</p>
<p>The first store in the project opens at the end of July in San Ysidro.</p>
<p>“This project is going to attract a lot of traffic,” said Alfredo Jaime, partner and co-founder of Jaime Partners. “Duty Free City is working hard to attract the attention of the millions of people that cross into Mexico from this crossing every year. As the busiest land border crossing in the U.S., San Ysidro is a great kickoff to their nationwide expansion, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”</p>
<p>The San Ysidro Duty Free City store will cater to border shoppers who will be able to make purchases closer to the border at the same time that shopping duty-free means the goods will not include sales tax.</p>
<p>The San Ysidro opening is particularly timely with the much-anticipated US-Mexico border expansion project set to be complete in 2016.</p>
<p>In addition to retail, the 14,000 square-foot store In addition to luxury retail, the store will offer a premier customer service experience which includes hair and nail services, a vino lounge, cigar lounge and City Café serving sandwiches and coffee.</p>
<p>Duty Free City will also have an area for children’s activities and a tasting table for wine with selections from over 350 wineries.</p>
<p>The project broke ground in March. Jaime Partners is providing cost estimating services, along with constructability reviews, value engineering and serving as West Coast representatives for the owners, Miami-based Fine Sources Design.</p>
<p>“Jaime Partners have been an extension of our team and have taken on the project as their own,” said Alejandra Rudner, director of marketing for Duty Free City. “They’ve been extremely positive and have gone above and beyond every step of the way.”</p>
<p>For Rodolfo Farber, partner and co-founder of Jaime Partners, this project is very complex, something the firm welcomes.</p>
<p>“It’s a great challenge for us,” he said via telephone from San Francisco, where he and Jaime were in a business trip. “There are a lot of moving pieces, so we feel great about coordinating this.”</p>
<p>Located in Downtown San Diego, Jaime Partners is the San Diego-based leading services provider for program, project and construction management services in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The firm has worked in include Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, and Pueblo Bonito Resorts in Cabo San Lucas.</p>
<p>Farber said that Jaime Partners might be the only Latino-owned firm in the project and construction management industry in San Diego.</p>