Rock Hill Galleria opens on Dave Lyle
Rock Hill Galleria opened in May 1991 at 2301 Dave Lyle Boulevard in Rock Hill, SC. Developed by Zamias Services, Inc., it was built as a one-level enclosed mall with wide surface parking and a direct link to Interstate 77.
The first lineup of anchors was Belk, JCPenney, Sears, Walmart, and Phar-Mor. The plan put long-established department stores together with discount operators, creating a new shopping base on the growing Dave Lyle corridor.
Belk, JCPenney, and Sears pulled out of Rock Hill Mall and reopened in the Galleria. Their move stripped the older mall of its strongest tenants, shifting local retail activity into the new property almost overnight.
The Galleria covered more than 700,000 square feet and was arranged around a single concourse.
A central food court drew traffic into the interior, while in-line tenants filled out spaces with apparel chains, specialty shops, and services.
Walmart operated a standard store on the parcel, separate from the main concourse, while Phar-Mor occupied a full anchor box, offering both general merchandise and pharmacy goods.
In later years, Walmart rebuilt the location into a supercenter while keeping its tie to the site.
The relocation of anchors quickly drained Rock Hill Mall. Through the early 1990s, in-line tenants began to close as foot traffic dried up.
By 2006, that property was demolished, leaving the Galleria as the city's only enclosed mall.
In its opening years, Rock Hill Galleria combined national chains, strong regional anchors, and highway access.
It set the foundation for a retail corridor that would expand around Dave Lyle Boulevard in the decades that followed.
Mid-1990s resets after early closures
Within a year of opening, Rock Hill Galleria faced its first anchor vacancy when Phar-Mor closed its store.
The chain, which had paired deep-discount general merchandise with a pharmacy, had expanded quickly in the late 1980s but left behind a large empty box at the new mall.
By October 1995, Brendle's stepped in. The catalog showroom company opened in the former Phar-Mor space, selling jewelry, electronics, and home goods.
Its arrival was intended to stabilize the anchor wing, but Brendle's declared bankruptcy within months.
The Rock Hill location shut down by early 1996, leaving the same end of the concourse without a tenant.
Belk, JCPenney, Sears, and Walmart remained open during these years, providing steady traffic even as one anchor bay cycled through closures.
Smaller national chains filled interior storefronts, offering clothing, footwear, and fast food.
The mall's food court also became a steady draw, surrounded by regional service tenants.
Development continued along Dave Lyle Boulevard, where outparcel restaurants and large-format retailers appeared.
Those additions helped the Galleria by giving shoppers more reasons to visit the corridor.
Late 1990s to late 2000s churn and re-tenanting
By 1998, a new tenant was introduced. Goody's Family Clothing opened after construction delays pushed back its planned 1997 launch.
Positioned as a value apparel chain, Goody's filled a gap for budget-conscious shoppers and provided the Galleria with a sixth anchor.
In 2004, Steve & Barry's joined the mall, taking over space that had sat empty.
Known for low-cost collegiate apparel and casual basics, the store brought new energy and foot traffic.
Both chains unraveled in the following years. Steve & Barry's shut down in 2008 after a nationwide bankruptcy.
Goody's, which had added to the mall's anchor count for a decade, closed in 2009 as part of its own liquidation.
These losses left multiple large spaces vacant, returning the property to the problem of unfilled anchor boxes.
Despite those closures, the original anchors, Belk, JCPenney, Sears, and Walmart, remained in place through the 2000s.
2010s renovations, entertainment, and anchor exits
The 2010s began with efforts to modernize and diversify the property. Belk invested in a major renovation in 2013, expanding its store and updating the design.
Around the same time, JCPenney also expanded, reinforcing two of the mall's longest-serving anchors.
In 2014, Home South Furniture opened a 30,000-square-foot store in the former Goody's location.
That same year, Revolutions opened in the combined space of the former Phar-Mor and Steve & Barry's.
The 62,000-square-foot venue included bowling lanes, a bar, and live music, turning part of the mall into a destination for entertainment rather than retail.
For several years, this combination of department store upgrades and new concepts suggested stability.
But in November 2018, Sears announced its closure at the Galleria as part of a nationwide downsizing.
The store shut its doors in early 2019, removing one of the original anchors.
Soon after, both Home South and Revolutions closed in 2019. The simultaneous loss of two newer tenants alongside Sears left large portions of the building vacant once again.
By the close of the decade, only Belk, JCPenney, and Walmart remained, while darkened anchor boxes signaled the need for another reinvention.
2020 reset and a sporting goods replacement
The next wave of closures came quickly. On June 4, 2020, JCPenney announced that Rock Hill Galleria would be among more than 150 stores shutting down as part of its bankruptcy.
This ended a nearly three-decade run for the department store at the property.
The loss created a hole in the center of the mall, which had already seen Sears depart the year before.
The solution arrived with Dick's Sporting Goods, which redeveloped the former JCPenney box.
The new store opened in May 2022, restoring a national hardlines anchor to the Galleria.
Dick's brought outdoor gear, footwear, and sporting goods to a property that had long been defined by department stores.
Its opening was part of a shift toward activity-driven retail categories rather than traditional soft-goods anchors.
Walmart continued to operate its Supercenter on the site, and Belk remained in its renovated store.
With Dick's now in place, the Galleria reestablished a core of active anchors, even as other large spaces awaited reuse.
By 2022, the property had begun moving away from its department store model and toward a hybrid of retail and experiential categories.
Rock Hill Galleria adds bowling, furniture, and fashion in a new phase
In 2023, the long-vacant space once home to Revolutions at Rock Hill Galleria was redeveloped for Stars and Strikes.
The 45,000-square-foot entertainment complex introduced bowling lanes, an arcade, laser tag, axe-throwing, and party rooms, reshaping the mall's mix of tenants.
New tenants began to arrive in 2024. Broad River Retail opened a 35,500-square-foot Ashley showroom on October 10, 2024.
The store held a ribbon-cutting and public grand opening, introducing a large-format furniture operator to the mall.
In November, Palmetto Moon opened with a two-day celebration on the 23rd and 24th.
The regional chain specializes in apparel, gifts, and accessories, adding another lifestyle-oriented retailer to the tenant mix.
Entertainment was also on the horizon. On November 6, 2024, Warren Norman Company announced that Big Air Trampoline Park would open inside Rock Hill Galleria.
The plan called for about 30,000 square feet, with an expected launch in the third quarter of 2025.
These additions showed a deliberate shift in leasing. Ashley brought home furnishings, Palmetto Moon offered regional fashion, and Big Air promised family entertainment.
Together, they widened the mall's appeal and filled space left vacant in the years after department store closures.
By the end of 2024, the Galleria was moving into a new phase that relied on specialty anchors and activity-driven tenants to maintain traffic.
The Galleria's role in Rock Hill extended further in 2025. On September 17, 2025, Escape Eight opened a new themed room called All Hallows Feast.
The addition expanded its lineup of escape-room experiences and brought fresh, seasonal content to the mall.