Like many older urban locations, the retail district in downtown White Plains evolved over the past forty years as demographic trends, changing retail preferences, additions to the competitive supply, and the advent of online shopping has impacted stores in the area. Since the financial crisis of 2007/2008 and the subsequent recession, the once thriving downtown was experiencing an increasing number of vacancies. In an effort to reverse this trend, the White Plains BID engaged RESGroup to provide a retail market assessment and strategy. To accomplish that objective we identified issues that may be impacting the retail market conditions in the WP BID.
In addition to analyzing demographic data for local residents, workers, visitors, and students, RESGroup conducted and evaluated interviews with local retailers, brokers, building owners and shoppers. Local development trends were also considered, with a number of mid-rise apartment buildings recently opening or under development in the downtown.
RESGroup identified potential short- and long-term strategies to attract retailers and reverse the negative trends impacting the downtown. These strategies included improving mass transit connections with the White Plains Metropolitan Transit Association Train Station, expanding the BID to include a larger portion of the downtown; facilitating parking through a smart phone app and improved way-finding signage; creating a marketing campaign with online access for the local retailers and shoppers; and considering policy changes that would continue to increase residential density in downtown White Plains allowing creation of a more 24-7 mixed-use environment.
Downtown White Plains is currently experiencing a “boom” of residential apartment development, partially driven by Millennials and empty nesters to a small and less expensive City with amenities and access to transit, improving conditions for retailers and service providers within the BID. In some instances, like the redevelopment of the Westchester Pavilion site, outdated retail facilities are being replaced with mixed-use structures with smaller amounts of retail space.
