The Shoppes at College Hills in Normal has announced a White House | Black Market store will open as early as March in a space that has been vacant for seven years.

Marketing Manager for DMA Properties Cindy Patterson said the locationwhere the White House | Black Market store will stand, between Von Maur and Bath & Body Works, had never been leased.

“When the redevelopment of the Shoppes at College Hills was completed in 2005, this space was held open for future expansion,” Patterson said.

Normal’s WH|BM location will be in suite 100, she added.

WH|BM President Donna Noce said the brand was founded in 1985 as a tiny neighborhood boutique in Baltimore and sells exclusively designed and private branded clothing for women.

“We called ourselves The White House, and we offered unique, individual collections of fabulous clothing and accessories in shades of white and ivory,” Noce said.

Black Market opened in 1995 to expand upon the original theme and in 1997 the boutiques were combined into one concept, and White House | Black Market was born, she added.

“WH|BM offers fashionable and sophisticated clothing and accessory items, from everyday basics, to wear-to-work, to elegant fashion, primarily in black and white and related shades with seasonal color splashes,” Noce explained.

There are currently more than 380 WH|BM boutiques and over 35 outlets across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, she added.

“Throughout everything, our passion has always been to make women feel beautiful. That’s what we’re about,” Noce said.

“Our clothing remains a symbol of who we are: the honest simplicity of black and white, and the remarkable individuality of the different styles we build from it,” she added.

Noce said each boutique is dedicated to helping their costumers feel every place they go is more beautiful because they are there.

“The White House | Black Market boutique located at Shoppes at Grand Prairie has had great success, and we look forward to sharing that shopping experience with McLean County shoppers,” Noce said.

DMA Property LCC General Manager Greg Slowiak said the company’s relationship with related stores at both the Shoppes at College Hills and the Shoppes at Grand Prairie helped lead to the opportunity for building a new WH|BM store in Normal.

Patterson said construction to finish out the space has just begun.

“We don’t have a confirmed opening date, but watch for announcements in late February or early March of 2013,” she said.

“Announcing a new store grand opening is the most fun, ever,” Patterson explained. “Marketing and advertising will include multiple media channels and event marketing.”

Patterson said DMA Properties looks forward to each and every new store opening at the Shoppes.