Core Plus Retail Project To Begin in Fall

WHITE PLAINS-Core Plus Properties of Stamford, CT is set to break ground in early fall on its $25-million the Venue on Bloomingdale Road retail project. The development will total 42,000 sf of boutique retail space and specialty shops as well as a 6,000-sf restaurant and an outdoor café,

The Venue will be constructed on a 6.6-acre site that includes the former NYNEX office building at 120 Bloomingdale Rd. that was originally constructed as the headquarters for Nestle USA. The 145,000-sf building, owned by Core Plus, is now a multi-tenant office building with the New York State Department of Labor as its largest tenant. The Venue will be built on what is a surface parking lot for the office building, Core Plus officials stated. The project received final approval from the White Plains Common Council earlier this month.

A two-level parking garage will be built as part of the complex. There will be a total of 501 parking spaces on-site including the new garage and existing outdoor parking adjacent to the front and rear of the office building and at the upper level parking lot along Hale Avenue, company officials say.

“The Venue will be a perfect fit within this very strong, up-scale retail area,” says Frank Gallo, managing director of Core Plus. “We have approached the site with special care to assure that we create a project that will not only complement the existing retail environment but that will enhance the entire surrounding area.”

The center is located in the Bloomingdale Road retail corridor and will be adjacent to such retailers as: Bloomingdale’s, The Container Store, Fortunoff, Whole Foods, Morton’s, Cheesecake Factory, P.F Changs, Crate & Barrel, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany’s, Sony Style, The Apple Store, Abercrombie and Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton, Club Monaco and Hugo Boss.

Although Gallo reports no lease signings to date, he adds, “the interest we have already received from retailers and restaurant operators has been tremendous. With the plan now approved, we expect the level of tenant interest will increase. There are very few locations that offer what Bloomingdale Road in White Plains does, and prospective tenants are acutely aware of that.”

The building has been designed by architectural firm, Arrowstreet Inc. of Sommerville, MA and is being planned with “green” technologies and efficient heating and cooling systems to minimize its carbon footprint.