The Galleria, Former Westroads Shopping Center

It’s increasingly forgotten, but the Galleria originally was the Westroads Shopping Center, and like many other early shopping centers, it was more of strip mall with a single anchor, in this case a Stix, Baer and Fuller, and several other stores arranged in behind a parking lot.

Built in 1955, Westroads was Stix, Baer and Fuller’s first suburban location outside the city limits of St. Louis, and the location at River Roads would soon follow.

Of course, the major renovation into the Galleria in the mid 1980s has largely swept away the old Westroads but the Stix, Baer and Fuller is embedded inside the northern portion of the Dillard’s. I remember being really young and the Galleria first opening and there being renovations going on inside the Dillard’s, concealing the remnants of the old Stix.

But the general form of the department store jutting out and the shopping wing protruding out to the north and south is still retained. Of course, the Galleria was built in two halves, with the southern wing built several years later to include the Famous Barr and Lord and Taylor anchors.

Designed by John Graham & Co., the new Stix was a big deal in its bold design which certainly broke away from the original location on Washginton Avenue. The protruding pavilion would be copied at River Roads and at Crestwood Mall.

It certainly must have been exciting when it opened.

In fact, Richmond Heights widened Brentwood Boulevard in order to handle the anticipated traffic volumes expected from the new Westroads.

Of course, even I’m old enough to remember the restaurants that all department stores had back in the day.

The homewares department was overflowing with products.

Of course, there were other stores, as well.

The parking spread around to the back of the shopping center. J.J. Newberry was a national chain of five and dime stores.

Something that was common at many shopping malls were grocery stores.

Another clothing store was Sonnenfeld’s.

The development attracted the University Club, which moved out of its Grand Center location, where it had been located for decades.