Porter Ranch Is a Mistake

I found Patrice Apodaca’s article “Warner Center Copes With a High Vacancy Rate” most interesting.

While the fate of Porter Ranch and Chatsworth hangs delicately by a slight thread of hope because of the proposed massive commercial development, Warner Center is struggling with the highest vacancy rate in the Valley. With an area of growing prestige such as Warner Center experiencing difficulty in leasing its office space, what makes the Porter Ranch developer think that the 6 million square feet of commercial space he proposes for the hills above Chatsworth will enjoy a more profitable lease rate?

A beautifully planned Warner Center would seem to be ultimately more attractive to any tenant than the proposed 6 million square feet “nestled” in 161 acres, a density almost four times that of Warner Center.

Under these circumstances, with Warner Center coping with a 20% vacancy rate, one can envision a ghost town of empty office buildings above Chatsworth in tribute to one developer’s greed.

NANCY N. WANKOVSK, Chatsworth