Land Values Near Red Line

Re “Land Values Near Subway Show No Signs of Riding High,” June 22.

North Hollywood was in a death rattle long before the Metro Rail shovel broke ground. Today, with new businesses and pedestrian amenities around Magnolia and Lankershim boulevards, it looks already better than it looked more than a decade ago.

Peppered by remarks from landlords who are hoping to cash in on lawsuits against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, your article astoundingly barely mentions the $400-million proposed development at the station and ignores totally the massive infusion centered around rail stations in Hollywood just over the hill.

Yes, mid-Wilshire hasn’t received the big developments yet, but high-end, market-rate apartment buildings that were 50% empty three years ago, before the Red Line arrived there, are now full and have waiting lists.

It’s interesting to note that in the Bay Area there is some opposition to rail extensions because, with BART as a model, the fear is that they can bring development to rural areas where it’s not welcome. Here, having never really experienced a true rapid-transit system, and even with giant projects in development or construction, we’re just not going to believe it until we see it.

ROGER CHRISTENSEN, Sherman Oaks