It was the day when the face of shopping and much more changed in a big way in the Welsh capital.

A massive new extension to St David’s shopping center opened on 22 October 2009, but it also meant familiar old institutions making way for a new, more modern Cardiff.

The £675 million project was initially known as St David’s 2 and attracted the likes of Apple, John Lewis and Victoria’s Secret to the city for the first time.

“I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since we opened the new part of St David’s,” center manager Helen Morgan said.

“This was a great opportunity to bring something new to the city, but we also wanted it to be complementary,” he said.

The new part of the centre, officially known as St David’s Dewi Sant, was inspired by many of the older shopping malls for which the city is well known, especially when it comes to the Grand Arcade.

“Obviously, we’re surrounded by beautiful old arcades, so if you look at the Grand Arcade at St David’s you’ll see that it’s really modeled on the arcades that are around us. “We were just getting our inspiration from them.”

However, part of the old town had to go to make room for the approximately 1 m sq ft (92,300 m2) extension.

“I think sometimes you forget what was here before, and it’s nice to be reminded of that,” Morgan said.

This includes the original town center Toys ‘R’ Us, the Welsh National Ice Rink, the Oxford Arcade and a very old Cardiff Library.

“It’s been 15 years but it really feels like it’s flown by. I think some people say: “Was this really there before?”

If your memory needs jogging, this is what Cardiff city center looked like before St David’s 2:

The store in Hayes, which first opened in 1985, was one of five Toys ‘R’ Us stores in the UK.

The massive toy store eventually moved to a new location in Cardiff Bay during the development of St David’s 2 and has since closed.

However, it was once famous for its wide range of toys and even opened for pop superstar Michael Jackson, who was in Cardiff as part of his Bad world tour, late on 26 July 1988.

The Wales National Ice Rink, once home to the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team, was located where John Lewis is now located.

The popular venue hosted open skating sessions as well as a regular disco, allowing skaters to take to the ice to their favorite songs.

It has also hosted a number of concerts including Blur, Madness, Kiss and Meat Loaf.

Opened in September 1986, the building was a staple of local school tours until it was demolished in 2006.

The first phase of St David’s shopping center opened in 1981, but before that there was the rather retro-looking Oxford Arcade.

Music lovers will remember it as the home of the MVC, with several travel agencies, computer repair shops, Halfords and a post office located there over the years.

The arcade was demolished in 2006 as part of the St David’s 2 refurbishment.

A new Central Library opened in March 2009, replacing the old library on Hills Street.

The official opening ceremony in June featured the Manic Street Preachers, who sang “Libraries gave us strength” at the beginning of one of their best-known songs, A Design For Life.

The £15 million building was built as a community space, with a large, open atrium and open-plan floors, as well as a dedicated children’s floor.

Cardiff was once the home of many canals, although most are now covered up.

The Glamorganshire Canal originally ran through the city center and was used to transport lime, steel, iron and coal from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff.

The canal followed the Queen Street tunnel, which crosses Queen Street in the middle of Cardiff city centre, opposite The Friary, and is under what is now St David’s shopping centre.

Part of Cardiff’s old canals recently renovated It will be Canal District.

More than 100 years ago, Hayes Bridge stood over the Glamorganshire Canal.

It stood where John Lewis now stands, but it was built long ago, with the Welsh National Ice Rink and the retail store now replacing it.

Golden Cross at the corner of Hayes Bridge Road one of the last period buildings those who remain in this area.

A new urban park is planned former Debenhams store In the city centre, St David’s staff wait to hear whether their planning application has been accepted.

“We hope to reach a decision on this issue by the end of the fall, very soon,” Morgan said.

“We plan to open City Square by summer 2026.”