Core Plus Properties LLC, Stamford, Conn.-based developers are planning to break ground in the fall for The Venue on Bloomingdale Rd., offering carefully conceived space for a limited number of select retailers and a restaurant that will become part of one of the top retail corridors in the New York metropolitan area. It is well documented that the corridor draws shoppers to White Plains from across Westchester, Rockland and Fairfield counties as well as New York City. The Venue will include 42,000 s/f of retail space comprising brand name boutique retailers and specialty shops as well as a 6,000 s/f, noteworthy restaurant and an outdoor café. The Venue will have a prominent position on the prestigious Bloomingdale Rd. retail corridor. The corridor is anchored on the north by The Westchester, the leading up-scale retail mall in the region that includes Nordstrom and Neiman-Marcus, and the free-standing Bloomingdale's Department Store at the south. The unique character of the Bloomingdale Road corridor will be enhanced by The Venue's landscaping plan that has been designed to contribute to the park-like setting along the street frontage. In addition to the on-site landscaping, Core Plus Properties LLC, in cooperation with the City of White Plains will plant additional specimen trees along Bloomingdale Rd. to further reinforce the character and ambiance of the corridor. "The Venue will be a perfect fit within this very strong, up-scale retail area," said 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 approval to move forward on the $25 million Venue project follows the White Plains Common Council's May 5th near unanimous vote of approval of the development plan. The building has been designed by the well-respected architectural firm, Arrowstreet, Inc., of Sommerville, Mass. The Venue is being planned with "green" technologies and efficient heating and cooling systems to minimize its carbon footprint. Divney Tung Schwalbe, LLP of White Plains has provided the site engineering and landscape architecture for the project.