New Shopping Center Is Open for Business

In what its owners describe as an alternative to the sameness of malls, a new shopping center opened Friday in Chatsworth featuring approximately 200 retailers under one roof.

Dubbed the Marketplace, the 65,000-square-foot center at 20914 Nordhoff St. occupies the site of a home improvement store severely damaged in the Northridge earthquake. According to Jason Bender, who handles advertising for the center, the building has been thoroughly retrofitted.

About 200 retailers have booths inside the spacious, convention center-style hall. Familiar names include L.A. Cellular, Hooked on Phonics, Paul Jardin clothing and Bank of America as well as many “small, independent business owners,” Bender said.

“It’s an alternative to the mall,” he added, noting that shoppers can expect to find items such as housewares, clothing, furnishings, electronics, tools, cosmetics, toys, music and home decorating materials at “a nice bargain.”

The site also features a food court that offers fare such as hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and cappuccino and a farmers market with fresh produce. Another 100 retailers are expected to join the center within the next month.

To celebrate the shopping center’s opening, clowns and a one-man-band will greet visitors today and Sunday. A petting zoo, music and activities for children will also be open.

The Marketplace is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The admission fee is $1, Bender said.

For more information, call (818) 709-5454.