Riverchase Galleria - History

History

The Galleria was opened on February 19, 1986 by developer Jim Wilson & Associates. Initially 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m2) with four anchor stores — two Birmingham-based chains, Parisian and Pizitz — along with Atlanta-based Rich's and national retailer J. C. Penney. In March 1987, the mall added its first Macy's store at center court, marking the company's first store in Alabama. Within the same year, the Pizitz chain was acquired by McRae's of Jackson, Mississippi, and subsequently renamed. In 1995 Parisian expanded their store by almost two-thirds, while in 1996 Sears and a new wing were added, making Riverchase Galleria a total 2.4 millon square feet (222,967 m²) size. The expansion made it the largest mixed-use project in the Southeast, and one of the top 10 largest mixed-use projects in the United States.

In 2003, the mall began to feel the effects of department store consolidation when the Macy's anchor store closed, while the Rich's location was renamed Rich's-Macy's. The consolidation came some nine years after Federated Department Stores (the parent of Rich's since 1976) had acquired R. H. Macy & Company. Following the closure of the original Macy's location, the property was sold to Saks Incorporated, by then the parent of both McRae's and Parisian. Saks kept the north wing anchor space vacant for more than a year before reopening the refurbished store in October 2004 under its Proffitt's division, giving the company three different anchors at Riverchase. On March 6, 2005, the Rich's-Macy's store (as Rich's; along with the location at Colonial Brookwood Village) was officially rechristened as Macy's. Later in 2005, Saks sold its Proffitt's division — including most of the McRae's chain — to Belk. As a result, Saks closed the 131,000 sq ft (12,200 m2) McRae's store. Belk dissolved the separate Proffitt's organization, and on March 8, 2006 (almost exactly one year following the Rich's conversion) the Proffitt's store at Riverchase became the mall's first Belk store.

In late 2003, Jim Wilson & Associates (JW&A) sold 50% of the Galleria to General Growth Properties (GGP), which assumed management control.

In 2006, Belk acquired the Parisian store chain from Saks Incorporated. Additionally, the former Pizitz/McRae's location simultaneously became available for occupancy. The store had remained vacant since the 2005 closure of McRae's as a result of a lawsuit between the Pizitz family (which had retained ownership of the store real estate after its sale in 1987) and Saks Incorporated (which inherited the lease obligations of its defunct McRae's operation). As part of its merger of the Parisian stores into its operations, Belk closed its location in the original Macy's space and the Parisian store was renamed to Belk. The upper level of the former Pizitz/McRae's has since been converted to a Belk Home & Children's Store.

Currently, the Galleria has 218 stores and restaurants and is anchored by 4 department stores: J.C. Penney, Belk, Macy's, and Sears. Construction was underway in August 2012 for a fifth anchor department store, Von Maur. The Galleria has two large parking decks, with a variety of entrances, attached to the mall.

Located on the Galleria property on out-parcels are several restaurants including Johnny Rockets, California Pizza Kitchen, Bonefish Grill, J. Alexander's, Stix, and Olive Garden. The Home Depot, FedEx Office, and Costco are located on other out-parcels on the property. The first Just For Feet superstore opened at the Galleria in 1987 but closed with the rest of the chain in 2004. There was also a 10-screen Regal Cinemas movie theater on an out-parcel of the property but it was closed in 2006 after the construction of a Rave Motion Pictures at neighboring Patton Creek Shopping Center. The old movie theater has since been repurposed into an Aveda Salon and Cosmetology school.

In the center of the Grand Atrium/food court, sits a full-size, authentic 19th Century Dentzel Carousel. In the past, the carousel was dismantled for part of the year, with foliage and a fountain in its place, and reassembled for the holiday season. Currently, the carousel has remained in place for several years. Occasionally, the traditional carousel animals are replaced with reindeer for the holiday season as well.

On May 5, 2006, the Galleria opened the state's first Sephora store. This was followed in 2007 by the announcement that one would open in at The Summit, also in Birmingham.

On November 1, 2007 the Galleria also opened the state's first Helzberg Diamonds store, a high quality jewelry store.

On November 30, 2007 the Galleria announced that Nordstrom plans to open the state's first store in the mall in 2012, assuming the anchor space first occupied by Macy's in 1987, Proffitt's in 2004, and Belk in 2006. That plan was canceled in 2009 as General Growth Properties reorganized under bankruptcy.

On July 14, 2009 the Galleria announced that LEGO would open the state's first LEGO Brand Retail store in the mall on July 30, 2009. The store occupies 2,061 square feet (191.5 m2) and became one of the 32 LEGO Brand Retail stores nationwide upon its opening.

As part of the $60 million redevelopment plan for the mall, the owners plan to open the state's first Von Maur, a Midwestern based department store, in the space vacated by Macy's/Proffitt's/Belk. Also, the Wynfrey Hotel will also be renovated and will be rebranded as a Hyatt hotel. The plan was approved by the Hoover City Council on October 17, 2011. In March 2012, General Growth Properties and Jim Wilson and Associates approved of the plan for Von Maur as they released in a news conference.