Riverchase Galleria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Riverchase Galleria is a large super–regional shopping mall in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. The center is Alabama's largest enclosed shopping center, as well as one of the state's most popular tourist attractions, second only to the Alabama Gulf Coast beaches. The mall is also very popular among the neighboring states of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
The word "Riverchase" is named after the subdivision on the southern end of the city of Hoover which was annexed in September of 1980.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
"The Galleria," as it is locally known, opened on Februrary 19, 1986 by owner Jim Wilson & Associates, at some 1.2 million square feet with anchor stores JC Penney, Parisian, Pizitz, and Rich's. In 1987, the mall saw its first Macy's store; marking the company's very first entry into the Birmingham market. Not long after this mall opened, Pizitz was acquired by McRae's of Jackson, Mississippi. The mall is located at the intersection of Montgomery Highway (US Highway 31) and Interstate 459. The Galleria is contiguous with a 330-room hotel called the Wynfrey Hotel and a 17-story, 285,000 square foot (26,000 m²) office builing located in the mall's center court. The style of this center is modeled after the Houston Galleria, but at a smaller scale.
The mall was expanded in 1996 to include Sears, with the new wing making Riverchase Galleria total 1.7 million square feet (160,000 m²) in 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. It was later renovated in 1998 and again in 2001. In 2003, the mall began to worsen when it lost its Macy's anchor store as it consolidated with Rich's (the 255,000 sq. ft. store was the only Macy's that operated in the state of Alabama prior to the 2005 name change). The former Macy's location then sat empty while various department stores chains attempted to fill in the void. Then in 2004, the location was extensively renovated and reopened as a Proffitt's, by that time a part of Saks Incorporated. One year later in 2005, the mall's former Rich's was converted to Macy's on March 6, 2005 marking Macy's second entry into the Birmingham market. Also in 2005, McRae's closed its 131,000 sq. ft. store due the acquisition of McRae's and Proffitt's by Belk. On March 8, 2006, the mall's Proffitt's store was converted to Belk. Currently, the former McRae's location sits empty with rumors that perhaps Dillard's may purchase the location and enter the Birmingham market. In 2006, Belk acquired the Parisian stores from Saks Incorporated and convert them to Belk in Fall 2007. Since there is already a Belk store in this mall (which was converted from Proffitt's in March 2006), it is certain that the Parisian store will close or be sold to another retailer.
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 foilage 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. The cost of rides is currently $2 per person.
[edit] The Galleria Today
Currently, the Galleria has 200 stores and restaurants and is anchored by 5 department stores (J.C. Penney, Belk, Parisian, Macy's, and Sears). There was also a 10-screen Regal Cinemas movie theater nearby but it was closed in 2006. There are two parking decks located on the property (attached to Belk and various mall entrances) of The Galleria, giving the center some 5,000 total parking spaces.
In late 2003, Jim Wilson & Associates (JW&A) sold 50% of the Galleria to General Growth Properties (GGP), which assumed management control. GGP also bought outright another JW&A property, the Mall of Louisiana, and is currently developing a new lifestyle center in Macon, Georgia with JW&A.
On May 5, 2006, the mall opened the state's first Sephora store.
[edit] Anchor & Major Stores
- Abercrombie & Fitch (10,498 sq. ft.)
- Belk (255,000 sq. ft.)
- Express/Express Men (11,032 sq. ft.)
- Forever 21 (15,000 sq. ft.)
- Gap/Gap Kids (16,100 sq. ft.)
- JCPenney (135,163 sq. ft.)
- Macy's (220,000 sq. ft.)
- Parisian (203,500 sq. ft.,)
- Sears (150,000 sq. ft.)
[edit] Former Anchors
- Macy's (opened 1987, mall's first Macy's store, closed 2003) (255,000 sq. ft.)
- McRae's (opened 1986 as Pizitz, became McRae's 1987, closed 2005) (131,000 sq. ft.)
- Pizitz (opened 1986, became McRae's 1987, closed 2005) (131,000 sq. ft.)
- Proffitt's (opened 2004 in former Macy's, became Belk 2006) (255,000 sq. ft.)
- Rich's (opened 1986, became Macy's 2005) (220,000 sq. ft.)
[edit] Trivia
- The Riverchase Galleria is home to the world's longest skylight at some 200 feet.
- Taylor Hicks, the 2006 winner of American Idol, worked at the Riverchase Galleria, where he dressed as an Easter Bunny. Two weeks before his final victory, Hicks returned to the Galleria for a rally in his honor in the atrium, attended by an estimated 10,000 fans.
- An easily overlooked monument is on the second level in front of the escalator. A floor tile is engraved with an inscription identifying it as the final tile installed in the mall's 2001 renovation.
- The Galleria is serviced by Exit 13B "Galleria Boulevard" from Interstate 459. The Patton Creek Shopping Center, built adjacent to the Galleria in 2003 is also serviced by this interchange.
