The Saint Louis Galleria is tearing into its old Nordstrom and betting that a flashy, "experiential" makeover will lure shoppers back. Construction crews are busy inside the former two-story department store in Richmond Heights, with heavy equipment, demolition work and fresh build-out all visible to anyone strolling past the old anchor space.
Construction At The Galleria
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, workers are actively converting the entire two-floor Nordstrom footprint into a new experiential retail concept that will occupy the full space. The Business Journal reports that the Galleria has been under occupancy pressure in recent years, with the mall sitting at about 83% occupancy in 2025, and ownership has been hunting for larger experiential tenants to boost visits. The outlet notes that this project fits into a broader strategy to re-purpose big-box anchors rather than let them sit empty.
Who’s Moving In
Nordstrom shut down its Galleria store in August 2025, closing a long-running anchor and raising the obvious question: What now? Local coverage has pointed to DICK'S House of Sport as the likely successor. A report from KMOV/First Alert 4 says a Nordstrom spokesperson confirmed that DICK'S House of Sport would eventually move into the space, although the retailer has not publicly set an opening date. The report framed the swap as part of a national shift toward activity-centered store formats instead of traditional department stores.
What A House Of Sport Looks Like
Per DICK'S Sporting Goods, the House of Sport concept mixes standard sporting goods retail with on-site programming and interactive attractions designed to keep people in the building longer. The company describes the format as combining shopping with features like turf fields, batting cages, climbing walls and event areas, along with lessons and rentable activity time. That setup is exactly the kind of in-person draw mall owners hope will drive more consistent foot traffic than a typical big-box store.
Why It Matters Locally
Broker chatter suggests that successfully reworking the Nordstrom footprint could help pull more visitors to the Brentwood and Interstate 64 corridor and spill business into nearby shops and restaurants. Filling such a large, two-level anchor is a key part of the Galleria's effort to steady itself after several years of churn. The St. Louis Business Journal has reported that the mall's owner is leaning hard into experiential tenants to revive visits and stem recent foot-traffic declines. City officials and local merchants will be watching closely to see whether a sports-centric playground can deliver where traditional retail has struggled.
For now, there is still no official opening date, and crews continue the interior build-out as the old Nordstrom space steadily transforms. Visible changes at the Galleria are expected to ramp up in the coming months, and Hoodline will track filings and announcements and report new details as they emerge.
