Santa arrived at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon on Saturday, November 14, at the Lower Level Center Court. There was story time, a performance by the Center for Theater Arts, face painting, and a Toys for Tots collection run by the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department. Twenty days earlier, on Sunday, October 25, AMC Mount Lebanon 6 closed for good.
The Wegmans announcement four days after the theater closed got most of the attention. But the bigger change for this season happened before it. The Galleria at 1500 Washington Road has lost its movie screens and one of its dinner restaurants. The grocery store expected to change the building is still a renovation project that isn't scheduled to start until 2028. This December, and probably for some time after, the mall sits between what it was and what it will become.
Two Closings Came First
The changes on the ground started in September. Bravo! Italian Kitchen at the Galleria closed abruptly, and WPXI reported on September 9 that it closed effective immediately.
Next came the theater. WTAE reported on October 22 that the coming Sunday would be the last day for the Mount Lebanon 6. AMC gave no specific reason. Its statement said the company "routinely reviews the theatres in our circuit and makes decisions based on what will best strengthen the company going forward."
These closings matter more than the number of storefronts suggests. When Roadside Development, a Washington, D.C.-based firm, bought the Galleria for $15.2 million in April, Mt. Lebanon Magazine listed AMC Theaters among the tenants and described the building as a community gathering place with a movie theater. At the time, the developer's release said there would be "no changes to the Galleria's operations or its tenant mix" in the near term. Six months later, the theater that set the Galleria apart from an ordinary row of shops is gone.
What the Wegmans News Actually Sets in Motion
On October 29, Roadside and Wegmans Food Markets announced that Wegmans will anchor the reimagined Galleria. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the store would take up about 110,000 of the building's 168,000 square feet. That makes Wegmans most of the building. The rest of the mall would surround a grocery store instead of the other way around.
According to the municipality's announcement, the store will have Wegmans' full set of departments: produce, seafood, meat, bakery, deli, cheese, restaurant foods, and wine and beer. Jeff Edelstein, president of Roadside Development, said the goal is to "give residents another reason to make the Galleria part of their everyday lives." Municipal Manager Keith McGill called Wegmans "a highly anticipated amenity to our residents and the surrounding community."
The two Pittsburgh-area stores run on different clocks. The Wegmans in Cranberry Township, the chain's first in the region, broke ground in August 2026 and is expected to open in fall 2027. For the Galleria, Roadside and Wegmans expect renovations to begin in 2028, and other retailers will stay open during the work. The Post-Gazette reported that no opening date has been set for the Mt. Lebanon store.
Some of the formal steps are still ahead. WPXI reported that as of October 29 the municipality had received no redevelopment applications. The station also reported that, according to Mt. Lebanon's planner, any land-development approval will require a traffic study coordinated with PennDOT, and that review could lead to mitigation measures.
Here is how the dates line up:
| Date | What happened or is expected |
|---|---|
| April 2026 | Roadside Development buys the Galleria for $15.2 million |
| September 2026 | Bravo! Italian Kitchen closes |
| October 25, 2026 | AMC Mount Lebanon 6's final day |
| October 29, 2026 | Wegmans named anchor tenant |
| Fall 2027 | Wegmans Cranberry Township expected to open |
| 2028 | Galleria renovations expected to begin |
That puts more than a year between the theater's last show and the first day of construction, and the Galleria still has a holiday season to host in that gap.
The Galleria This December
The mall still holds the holiday events it has run for years. Santa visits run from November 14 through Christmas Eve on Level 2, with photos available for purchase and reservations through VIP Holiday Photos. He takes a daily break in the middle of each session, so the hours come in two blocks that change as December goes on:
| Dates | Santa's hours |
|---|---|
| Through Dec. 12, Mon.–Sat. | 12–3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m. |
| Through Dec. 12, Sun. | 12–3 p.m. and 3:30–5 p.m. |
| Dec. 13–17, Mon.–Sat. | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 13–17, Sun. | 12–3 p.m. and 3:30–5 p.m. |
| Dec. 18–19, Fri.–Sat. | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 20, Sun. | 12–3 p.m. and 3:30–5 p.m. |
| Dec. 21–23, Mon.–Wed. | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 24, Thu. | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 1:45–5 p.m. |
Pet photos with Santa run every Monday through December 21. The Galleria notes that the schedule can change without notice and points visitors to its Facebook page and website for updates.
The next big date is this Saturday. I Made It! for the Holidays South Hills comes to the Galleria on November 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Galleria has hosted I Made It! Market events before, and Mt. Lebanon Magazine listed them among the gatherings that made the building more than a place to shop. Without the theater, events like this one and Santa's visits are the main things still pulling people in for something other than shopping.
As of the week of November 2, the mall's regular hours were 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Where Dinner and Shopping Still Happen
The Galleria's directory still lists three sit-down restaurants: The Yard Gastropub, Houlihan's and Mitchell's Fish Market. Each posted business hours for the week of November 2. With Bravo closed, those three are the Galleria's full-service dining options this season.
The retailers most people know from their holiday shopping lists are still in the directory: Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams-Sonoma. J.McLaughlin is listed too. WPXI counted 26 tenants at the mall at the time of the Wegmans announcement. Developers haven't said which of them will be part of the redeveloped Galleria.
The Mt. Lebanon Magazine report on the announcement gathered mixed reactions from residents. One welcomed Wegmans. Another wasn't sure about it but hoped it would keep the Galleria active. Both reactions fit the stretch between now and 2028, when the building stays open, keeps its holiday traditions, and runs with fewer evening draws than it had last December.
Pairing the Galleria With Uptown
Two weeks after the makers market, the season moves up Washington Road. The Mt. Lebanon Partnership's Uptown Winter Market runs on Saturday, December 5, from noon to 5 p.m., with regional vendors, seasonal food and gifts.
This year, the Galleria's makers market and the Uptown market fall on Saturdays two weeks apart, at opposite ends of Washington Road. A household that wants a December evening out at the Galleria now plans it around Santa, the I Made It! Market, and a dinner reservation at one of the three restaurants still on the directory.
If the Galleria news has you thinking about how the Washington Road corridor is changing near your own home, Wendy Weaver follows these projects closely and is happy to walk you through what they mean for your street. Get your instant home valuation whenever you're ready, and Wendy will follow up personally.
