Glendale Galleria remodel to finish before Bloomingdale's opens Renovation is underway Friday at the Glendale Galleria. The remodeling includes renovations to restrooms and the food court, the addition of a new escalator and entrance, and fountains in a new plaza. Raul Roa, Glendale News Press / July 6, 2012 By Mark Kellam, Los Angeles Times Renovation work at the Glendale Galleria has stepped into high gear as the aging retail behemoth strives to keep up with its glitzy neighbor, the Americana at Brand. The project is scheduled to wrap up just before Bloomingdale's opens in October 2013 on the corner of Brand Boulevard and Broadway, where Mervyns once stood. Ceilings are being raised in some areas of the mall, new elevators installed, flooring replaced and brick surfaces covered with drywall, said Larry Martin, the Galleria's senior general manager. Most of the work is being done at night, so it will not inconvenience shoppers or retailers, he said. On each side of the mall's entrance off Central Avenue, two fountains will be part of a plaza with tables, chairs and new landscaping. Two new tenants, a Korean restaurant and a to-be-announced national retailer, will occupy the mall's new entrance area, Martin said. About 60,000 square feet has been vacated in Galleria II to make room for the 116,000-square-foot Bloomingdale's. Daniel's Jewelers, Skechers and Pro Image were among several stores that moved to other spaces in the Galleria as part of the renovation, Martin said. Crews are demolishing the interior of the former Mervyns, and Martin expects the site to be handed over to Bloomingdale's for construction by the end of the year. There are also plans to renovate the mall's food court and its central seating area, Martin said. Restrooms also will be remodeled, and a new escalator and entrance will be built in Galleria II, which Martin called the "Bloomingdale's wing." The mall has not undergone a comprehensive renovation since its opening in 1976, he said.