Galleria at White Plains
Encyclopedia
The Galleria at White Plains is a large enclosed urban shopping mall
located in the downtown
area of White Plains, New York
, a commercial and residential suburb 20 miles (32.2 km) north of New York City
.
Built in 1980 by the Cadillac Fairview
, a Canadian developer, the 900000 square feet (83,612.7 m²), four-level mall is located on two large city blocks of former urban renewal
land. It opened in August of 1980. Its anchor stores are Macy's
and Sears
, which were relocated to the mall from nearby locations to replace original anchor stores, Abraham & Straus
and J.C. Penney
in 1995 and 2004 respectively. The mall was constructed adjacent to a large two-block long parking garage which is connected directly to the mall at various levels.
Similar to a sister project in nearby Stamford
, Connecticut
(the Stamford Town Center
mall), the Galleria's architectural character appears fortress-like and overwhelms even the recent high density urban quality of its downtown environment. Considering the general architectural design of most enclosed shopping malls, it does not have much opportunity to create an interactive streetscape along its surrounding sidewalk areas. A late 1990s enhancement tried to correct some of these physical flaws, but recent retail tenant fit-outs on the sidewalk level have closed off much of this design effort.
In recent years, the mall has experienced competition from the development of nearby, and more upscale, retail developments such as The Westchester
mall and The Source At White Plains
. A late 1990s promotional advertisement featured the tag line "Shopping for the real world", a subtle jibe at the more upscale and affluent clientele and stores at The Westchester roughly a half-mile away.
On January 5, 2009, a man fell two stories from the third level to the food court level in a suspected suicide attempt at the mall.
The Galleria, like The Westchester
only a few blocks away, is now owned and operated by Simon Property Group
following the collapse of the Mills Corporation
.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in the downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area of White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
, a commercial and residential suburb 20 miles (32.2 km) north of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Built in 1980 by the Cadillac Fairview
Cadillac Fairview
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited is a North American investor, owner, and manager of commercial real estate.The name "Cadillac Fairview" came into existence in 1974 as a result of the merger between Cadillac Development Corporation Ltd and Fairview Corporation...
, a Canadian developer, the 900000 square feet (83,612.7 m²), four-level mall is located on two large city blocks of former urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
land. It opened in August of 1980. Its anchor stores are Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, which were relocated to the mall from nearby locations to replace original anchor stores, Abraham & Straus
Abraham & Straus
Abraham & Straus was a major New York City department store, based in Brooklyn. Founded in 1865, in 1929 it became part of Federated Department Stores, which eliminated the A&S brand shortly after its 1994 acquisition of R.H. Macy & Company...
and J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
in 1995 and 2004 respectively. The mall was constructed adjacent to a large two-block long parking garage which is connected directly to the mall at various levels.
Similar to a sister project in nearby Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(the Stamford Town Center
Stamford Town Center
Stamford Town Center is an urban shopping mall in Downtown Stamford, Connecticut. The mall is the eighth largest in Connecticut, with space for about 130 stores and restaurants. It includes a Macy's and a Saks Fifth Avenue as anchors. The 1991 picture, Scenes from a Mall, was partially filmed...
mall), the Galleria's architectural character appears fortress-like and overwhelms even the recent high density urban quality of its downtown environment. Considering the general architectural design of most enclosed shopping malls, it does not have much opportunity to create an interactive streetscape along its surrounding sidewalk areas. A late 1990s enhancement tried to correct some of these physical flaws, but recent retail tenant fit-outs on the sidewalk level have closed off much of this design effort.
In recent years, the mall has experienced competition from the development of nearby, and more upscale, retail developments such as The Westchester
The Westchester
The Westchester is a , upscale shopping mall in downtown White Plains, New York. It is owned and operated by Simon Property Group and is home to some of today's most fashionable and well-known retailers, many with their only location in affluent Westchester County, New York...
mall and The Source At White Plains
The Source At White Plains
The Source at White Plains is a large urban-style shopping complex in downtown White Plains, New York. Located across the street from The Westchester mall and a large Crowne Plaza hotel, it features several major brand-name retailers and restaurants, such as The Cheesecake Factory, Whole Foods...
. A late 1990s promotional advertisement featured the tag line "Shopping for the real world", a subtle jibe at the more upscale and affluent clientele and stores at The Westchester roughly a half-mile away.
On January 5, 2009, a man fell two stories from the third level to the food court level in a suspected suicide attempt at the mall.
The Galleria, like The Westchester
The Westchester
The Westchester is a , upscale shopping mall in downtown White Plains, New York. It is owned and operated by Simon Property Group and is home to some of today's most fashionable and well-known retailers, many with their only location in affluent Westchester County, New York...
only a few blocks away, is now owned and operated by Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
following the collapse of the Mills Corporation
Mills Corporation
The Mills Corporation was a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States, acquired on April 3, 2007 by an investment group composed of Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management. The company developed, owned, and operated major...
.