The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to move its office from the White Plains Mall at 200 Hamilton Ave. to The Source at 1 Maple Ave. at Bloomingdale Road. Fine jewelry and home furnishings retailer Fortunoff at one time anchored the location, which was known by the slogan ”The Source at White Plains.”
Jessica Gabriel, acting associate commissioner of the division of real estate services for New York state, has asked the city to issue a Governmental Use Permit that would allow the DMV office to open.
The White Plains Common Council referred the request for review by the city”™s law and building departments as well as other departments. In addition, the Westchester County Planning Board has been asked to review the proposal as was the city”™s own planning and design and review boards.
The building at 1 Maple Ave. includes a parking garage for 500 cars. Among the existing tenants are Whole Foods, the Cheesecake Factory, Dick’s Sporting Goods, the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors and Danone North America, which occupies office space on the top level of the building.
The DMV previously had planned to move from 200 Hamilton Ave. to a nearby office building at 3 Barker Ave. After critics of the plan expressed concerns about parking availability and cost and the extra activity that would be taking place at the building, the DMV withdrew its application for the move.
The White Plains Mall is to be demolished to make way for the $585 million Hamilton Green, which is to include four buildings with a total of 860 apartments, more than 85,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 27,000 square feet devoted to coworking space, almost 1,000 parking spaces and a public park.
The Source stands on approximately 5.25 acres of land and has about 265,000 square feet of gross leasable area.
