Retail Land Rush

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If there's an upside to the rash of empty storefronts sweeping the city, it's that landlords are finally lowering their out-of-control rents. As a result, California Apparel News notes a micro-rush of retailers clamoring to take advantage of the current rates, citing examples like Anaheim's Java Jean Bar, which has managed to snag a Beverly Hills patch for "pennies on the dollar compared to where it was two years ago.” But according to Sherman Oaks realtor Matthew May, it's the wannabe marijuana dispensary owners who have been the most enthusiastic. "We get hundreds of [calls]", he says—although we suspect the recent loophole closure will give his voicemail some solace. [CAN]