Daffy's Signs Lease at Westchester Pavilion

WHITE PLAINS-Discount fashion retailer Daffy's will be entering the Westchester County market with a new store at the Westchester Pavilion mall here. The Secaucus, NJ-based retailer signed a 20-year lease for 26,900 sf and will be occupying the former Office Max space. Office Max moved out of the Westchester Pavilion about a month ago and relocated to the City Center at White Plains development across town. The new store will be Daffy's 20th location.

Officials with Urstadt Biddle Properties of Greenwich, CT, the owner of the Westchester Pavilion, revealed that it will renovate and upgrade the main floor of the mall concurrent with Daffy's opening. The improvements include a facelift of the common area on the main floor, the addition of skylights, and the creation of a new seating and dining area. Several new food vendors will also be added in kiosk areas around the main floor, company officials add. No cost estimate on the planned improvements has been set as yet.

Daffy's COO Gary Breitbart notes that the retailer was looking to expand into Westchester because "many area residents know about Daffy's and already shop our New York City stores. This will add new convenience for them." Breitbart negotiated the deal on behalf of Daffy's Inc.

Wing Biddle, president of Urstadt Biddle Properties, adds, "We hoped to add a fashion retailer to the mix at the center and this achieves an important goal for us while giving shoppers an even stronger reason to make us their destination."

In other company news, Biddle reports that a building permit has been secured from the City of Stamford, CT, and construction is expected to begin shortly on LA Fitness' 42,000-sf store at Urstadt Biddle Properties Ridgeway Shopping Center there. The new store will cost approximately $3 million to construct. LA Fitness is scheduled to open the new location by the spring of 2006.