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The Galleria was developed by Gerald Hines in 1970. Modeled after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, it originally had 600,000 ft² (56,000 m²) of retail space. The first expansion, called Galleria II and completed in 1986, added 360,000 ft² (33,000 m²) of retail space on two levels. Later added was the Galleria III, followed by the newest and biggest expansion completed in March 2003. This expansion added 2 department stores, a Nordstrom and flagship Foley's, as well as about 70 other stores, bringing the square footage to 2.4 million ft² (220,000 m²). The Galleria is now the fifth-largest shopping complex in the United States, and undoubtedly the most prestigious mall in the country.
The Galleria contains an always changing number of stores. The current amount is about 370. Among these are the six anchor stores:
a flagship Foley's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Other stores in the Galleria include:
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The Galleria is home to many local upscale designers and boutiques, including Ala Moda, Brass Boot, Carroll Paris, De Gala, Grazia, Obecca, Sara Lasier, Velleriano Italy and many others. Surrounding the Galleria are other upscale shopping centers feauturing similar stores and local boutiques: Fashion Centre, Uptown Collection, Uptown Park and Highland Village. Collectively, these shopping centers make up what is known nationally and internationally as the Galleria Shopping District; locally, and officially, this area is known as the Uptown District.
The Galleria also features a full-sized ice rink below a glass atrium. About 50 restaurants and specialty food stores at all prices and service points are located throughout the Galleria complex. Twp Westin hotels are also located inside the Galleria, the Westin Galleria and the Westin Oaks.
The Galleria hosts over 18 million visitors a year.