Edwards to build new shopping center in North White Plains.

Edwards Super Food Stores, one of the nation's leading supermarket companies, has announced plans to build a totally new community shopping center in North White Plains that will feature "the most modern and attractive supermarket in Westchester County."

Plans for the new center call for construction of a 47,540 square-foot Edwards Super Food Store and 18,000 square feet of satellite retail stores. The Edwards supermarket currently located on the property, built in 1960, will be demolished, along with the existing retail stores at the site, to make room for the new facilities.

"Our plan is to transform our current facility into a modern, state-of-the-art retail facility designed to meet the growing needs of the community well into the next century," said Frank Curci, executive vice president of Administration of Edwards Super Food Stores.

"The existing facility is more than 35 years old and is nearing the end of its useful life," Curci said. "This proposal offers the best solution for this vitally important retail center. It provides the community with a new supermarket of the highest quality that will contribute significantly to the revitalization of retailing in North White Plains and the North Castle/White Plains community. It also will generate significant tax revenue for the town and school district and provide employment for local residents. Overall, this is a win-win situation for the town."

The property is located on Reservoir Road at the intersection of Route 22 and the Central Westchester Parkway. For many years it was the site of a Finest Supermarket, which was renamed Edwards Super Food Store in 1993.

The proposed new Edwards supermarket and satellite retail stores will be located on the existing site, combined with the Arcadian Garden Center property, which is situated behind the current Edwards supermarket.

The existing parking lot will be completely rebuilt. The new 382-space parking area will be located on that portion of the site now occupied by the supermarket and retail stores. The parking area will be reconfigured to provide better traffic flow within the center.

The new retail stores will include many of the stores currently open there, such as a bank, bakery, restaurant and card and gift shop, as well as some new stores.

The proposed new center, comprised of the supermarket and satellite retail stores, totals 65,540 square feet of space. This is a less dense development than the existing supermarket/retail stores/garden center (67,288 square feet) and is far less dense than the 77,390 square feet of space that could be built under the existing zoning for that site.

The new center will be built in two phases over a 12-month period. During the first phase, the existing small stores will be demolished and construction will begin on the new Edwards supermarket. After the new supermarket is completed, the old supermarket will be demolished and construction will begin on the new satellite retail stores. The existing Edwards supermarket and a pharmacy will remain open until the new supermarket is completed.

"Under normal conditions, we would keep the small stores open as long as possible. However, the physical conditions of the site dictate that we temporarily close the stores during construction," said Curci. "Although the stores will be closed for a period of time, the long-term gain of having a modern, new shopping center with a state-of-the-art supermarket far outweighs the short-term complications," he added.

The proposed new center is being designed by Planned Expansion Group, an award-winning architectural firm headquartered in North White Plains. The exterior will feature an attractive brick and masonry facade with decorative awnings to create a sense of use-friendly, street-level retail. Because of the center's proximity to the surrounding residential neighborhood, each side of the building will have detailed finishes. Extensive screening with rotund trees and shrubs and a fence will serve as a buffer between the rear of the building and the nearby homes on the adjoining property.

Currently, Edwards has seven supermarkets in Westchester County. They are located in Mamaroneck, Mount Vernon, North White Plains, Ossining, Port Chester, Tarrytown and Yonkers.