Two of the San Fernando Valley’s most ambitious creative office projects are set to come online in the next few weeks just a block apart in a neighborhood few associate with cutting edge companies – Van Nuys. And when they do, they may finally answer an age-old question: If you build it, will they come? In essence, what the landlords want to know is whether coveted new media and entertainment companies will migrate from Hollywood and the Westside in exchange for the Central Valley’s freeway proximity – and savings of more than $2.50 a square foot. The Ranch at 14801 Califa St. and The Press at 14931 Califa St. are prototypical examples of adaptive reuse: old manufacturing plants and distribution warehouses stripped to their concrete floors, brick walls and exposed ceilings – with upgraded infrastructure and Internet connectivity, and large windows and skylights cut in. The results are wide-open floor plans, natural light and authentic building materials that creative tenants crave. John P. Webster, principal at Elbar Investments L.P., whose family owns the The Ranch property and is developing the project, said that a few years ago he became aware that post-production and computer gaming companies were looking for creative office space in the Central Valley. “At that time, the only option available to these types of companies in the area was traditional office space, which presented numerous operational obstacles specific to these types of users,” he said. “We looked at our site and felt that we had a very unique opportunity to create a functional and creative campus in which these companies could thrive.” Read the full story in the Feb. 9 edition of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.