As part of its third construction phase, an open-air mall (in gray) was added to UNIVERSITY HILLS CENTER. Stores were dedicated between September 1955 and February 1956. When fully-realized, the mall encompassed around 270,000 leasable square feet and housed thirty-four stores and services. Free parking was provided for over 2,000 autos.

A UNIVERSITY HILLS logo montage is composed of trademarks of stores in business between 1951 and 1990.

 

The shopping complex was enclosed and air-conditioned in 1975 and renamed UNIVERSITY HILLS MALL. A fire devastated the center in November 1983. It was rebuilt and re-opened in August 1984. At the time of this circa-1989 plan, the mall housed thirty-six stores and services. 

UNIVERSITY HILLS MALL TENANTS 1989:

MAY D & F (with Beauty Salon, Lookout Room restaurant, Ski Shop and freestanding Auto Centre) / 47th Street Jewelers / Ace Hardware / Al Tours & Travel / Aum Gallery / B. Kelly men's wear / Beau Joe's Pizza / Borelli Connection / Child's Pastry / Couch's Shoes / Dave Cook's Sporting Goods / Denver Salad / Empire Savings / Engraving Place / Fandonies / Fashion Bar / Fifth Avenue West Shoes / Firecrackers / Foto Tech / Hatch's Cards & Gifts / Howard Barber Shop / Jack Gleason ladies' wear / Legrues / Molbergs Jewelers / Morris Alpert Men's / Orange Julius / Perfect Hair beauty salon / Pet City / Phelps Shoe Service / Stage ladies' wear / Sterling Rose Florist / The Eyes Have It / The Vitamin Store / Video Plus / Yarbro Drugs / Yarbro Sweet Street 

Meanwhile, a strip-type shopping complex had opened, on a site directly north of UNIVERSITY HILLS CENTER, in November 1954. UNIVERSITY HILLS PLAZA featured stores such as Gambles, Miller's Furniture, Luby's Cafeteria and Republic Drugs. The two similarly-named complexes were (and are) often confused with one another.

Photo from https://www.uhplaza.com / University Hills Plaza