The HFF financial placement firm has secured a $23.5 million bridge loan for the 98,000-square-foot Plaza at the Border retail center on the U.S.-Mexico border in San Ysidro.

The 14,000-square-foot retail and multifamily property at 165-171 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Diego 92173, has been sold for $950,000, cash.

The San Diego Padres are trying to extend their reach into the community while building the team into a contender, team President and CEO Tom Garfinkel said at the South County Economic Development Council's holiday breakfast on Tuesday.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) will donate $90,000 to Casa Familiar of San Ysidro as part of $6 million in grants awarded to 59 nonprofits, according to a release. Through its 2012 Leading The Way Home Program Priority Markets Initiative, Wells Fargo hopes to help stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods hard-hit by the economy.

A rerouting of tens of thousands of vehicles a day began Thursday without a hitch at the busiest crossing on the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a major expansion that aims to keep lines manageable while allowing heightened inspections for drugs, weapons and other contraband.