An anchor of the Hudson Valley community is celebrating its 30th birthday this weekend.

Believe it or not, there was a time when the Poughkeepsie Galleria did not exist. Three decades ago the South Hills Mall reigned supreme. But in 1987 a fancy new mall was built right next door.

Long time Hudson Valley residents remember the grand opening of the Poughkeepsie Galleria which was home to iconic stores such as J.C. Penney, Lechemere and G. Fox, which eventually turned into Filenes and now stands as Macy's.

There have been some major renovations to the Galleria throughout the years. Most notably the north end of the mall has undergone changes to the movie theater and old Montgomery Ward store. More recently the floors of the building have been replaced with marble-looking tiles.

The success of the Poughkeepsie Galleria led to the decline of the South Hills Mall next door, which fell into disrepair in the 90s and eventually closed down only to be reborn as the Shoppes at South Hills.

A celebration is planned this weekend at the Poughkeepsie Galleria with a special ceremony scheduled for Friday afternoon.

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