On August 7, 1991, CoolSprings Galleria opened in Franklin, Tennessee, in the Cool Springs corridor between Franklin and Brentwood, about 15 miles south of Nashville.
Drivers came off Interstate 65 at exits 68 and 69 and flowed toward a new enclosed mall built at a super-regional scale, planned at about 1.08 million square feet.
Opening day drew an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 visitors. Three anchors greeted the crowds from the start: Castner Knott, Dillard’s, and Sears…