Distrito T-Mobile
{{short description|Entertainment district in San Juan, Puerto Rico}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Distrito T-Mobile
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| logo = Distrito T-Mobile Logo.png
| image = DistritoTMobile.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = Restaurants at Distrito T-Mobile
| location = Puerto Rico Convention District
| coordinates = {{coord|18.455|-66.092|display=inline,title}}
| address = 250 Convention Boulevard
San Juan, Puerto Rico
| opening_date = {{start date|2021|08|14}}
| developer = PRISA Group
| manager = ASM Global
| owner = Government of Puerto Rico
| architect =
| number_of_stores = 15
| number_of_anchors =
| floor_area =
| floors =
| parking =
| publictransit = B21, C53, ME (AMA)
| website = {{Official website|https://distritot-mobile.com/}}
}}
Distrito T-Mobile (initially developed as District Live!) is an entertainment and retail district complex located adjacent to the Puerto Rico Convention Center, part of a redevelopment of the Convention Center area that initially had opened in 2005. Distrito T-Mobile is 476,000 square feet complex of entertainment, dining, and shopping. It has 10 eateries, an 8-screen movie theater featuring IMAX, a 177 room Hotel, 2 Live Music venues, an outdoor performance plaza and an urban park featuring a zip line and a maze.
History
Initially known as District Live!, Distrito T-Mobile is part of the planned {{vanchor|Puerto Rico Convention Center District}} (master planned by Sasaki Associates). The main project was the Aloft hotel with 177 rooms, and a music hall which can seat 6,000 visitors, as well as a Caribbean Cinemas movie theater.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/pr-seeks-to-develop-business-entertainment-sector/|title=PR Seeks to Develop Business, Entertainment Sector|date=December 17, 2019}} The Puerto Rican government selected Starwood, under its Sheraton flag, to operate the reported $209 million facility, known as the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino.{{Cite web|url=https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjusi-sheraton-puerto-rico-hotel-and-casino/|title=Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino|website=Marriott International}} With these two hotels and others in the area, the district now has 1,762 hotel rooms available for visitors.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotelbusiness.com/hotel-projects-shape-up-here-and-abroad/|title = Hotel Projects Shape up Here and Abroad|date = 13 December 2019}}
The District came as part of a plan by the Puerto Rican Government to develop the areas surrounding the Puerto Rico Convention Center and add more tourist attractions that can bring visitors regularly to the area. The original plan was announced in 2016 by then governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla who hailed it as a public-private partnership where the government would give access to the land but the developing of the facilities would fall completely on private hands, while the Puerto Rican Government kept a 30% share on the project. Construction began that very same year with an expected opening date of 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wapa.tv/noticias/especiales/-district-live--en-el-centro-de-convenciones_20131122281037.html|title="District Live" en el Centro de Convenciones|date=2016|website=WAPA}}{{Cite web|url=https://chambers.com/articles/development-of-5-acre-hospitality-and-entertainment-district-in-san-juan-puerto-rico-announced|title=Development of 5-acre hospitality and entertainment district in San Juan, Puerto Rico announced|date=November 29, 2016|website=Chambers and Partners}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.inpuertoricomagazine.com/post/2016/10/13/comienza-construcci%C3%B3n-en-puerto-rico-de-distrito-de-entretenimiento-de-clase-mundial|title=COMIENZA CONSTRUCCIÓN EN PUERTO RICO DE DISTRITO DE ENTRETENIMIENTO DE CLASE MUNDIAL|date=October 13, 2016|website=IN Puerto Rico Magazine}}
In March 2020, wireless carrier T-Mobile US reached a 10-year naming rights deal, naming the complex Distrito T-Mobile. The agreement includes the provision of phone charging stations, and special benefits for T-Mobile subscribers (such as reserved parking spaces and other offers). It is the company's first naming rights agreement outside of the continental United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metro.pr/pr/noticias/2020/03/03/t-mobile-anuncia-sera-socio-fundador-de-el-distrito.html|title=T-Mobile anuncia será socio fundador de El Distrito|date=March 3, 2020|website=Metro PR}}{{Cite web|url=https://sincomillas.com/t-mobile-invierte-en-centro-de-entretenmiento/|title=T-MOBILE LE PONE APELLIDO AL DISTRITO|date=March 3, 2020|website=Sin Comillas}}{{Cite web|url=https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/distrito-t-mobile|title=Presentamos Distrito T-Mobile: T-Mobile fortalece su compromiso en Puerto Rico con inversión de 10 años en nuevo centro de entretenimiento|date=March 3, 2020|website=T-Mobile}} The district held its grand opening in August 2021.{{Cite web|last=Journal|first=Newsroom, The Weekly|title=Distrito T-Mobile Celebrates Grand Opening|url=https://www.theweeklyjournal.com/business/distrito-t-mobile-celebrates-grand-opening/article_517c2aec-0028-11ec-94c7-778e31f6d69e.html|access-date=2021-12-16|website=The Weekly Journal|language=en}}
Distrito T-Mobile hosted a New Year's Eve event on December 31, 2021, which was expected to attract at least 10,000 spectators, and feature a concert by Daddy Yankee. The event was covered by ABC's New Year's special Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, marking the special's first-ever broadcast from the territory.{{Cite web|last=Haring|first=Bruce|date=2021-10-07|title='Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest' Will Offer Spanish Countdown From Puerto Rico|url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/new-year-rockin-eve-ryan-seacrest-puero-rican-countdown-1234851396/|access-date=2021-10-08|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/esperan-unas-10000-personas-en-el-evento-de-fin-de-ano-en-el-distrito-de-convenciones/|title=Esperan unas 10,000 personas en el evento de fin de año en el Distrito de Convenciones|date=December 16, 2021|website=Primera Hora}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.telemundopr.com/noticias/puerto-rico/puerto-rico-para-el-mundo-gran-bienvenida-al-2022-2/2286183/|title=Puerto Rico para el mundo: Gran bienvenida al 2022
|date=December 16, 2021|website=Primera Hora}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/negocios/turismo/notas/puerto-rico-compartira-sede-con-times-square-en-la-transmision-de-fin-de-ano-con-el-dick-clarks-new-years-rockin-eve/|title=Puerto Rico compartirá sede con Times Square en la transmisión de fin de año con el “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”|date=October 7, 2021|website=El Nuevo Dia}}
Facilities
Popular Plaza (whose naming rights are owned by Banco Popular) serves as one of the main plazas of the district, which features an outdoor stage and multiple restaurants, including the sports bar Arena Medalla, Barullo Taberna Española, La Burgesía, La Central by Mario Pagán, Denko Asian Eatery, Dulcinea Ice Cream & Churros, Lupe Reyes, Pudge's Pizza, and Sazón Comida Criolla. The Coca-Cola Music Hall is an indoor events venue, designed primarily as a concert hall with a capacity of 5,000. The hall is also capable of hosting other types of indoor events.{{Cite web|date=August 18, 2021|title=Distrito T-Mobile Celebrates Grand Opening|url=https://www.theweeklyjournal.com/business/distrito-t-mobile-celebrates-grand-opening/article_517c2aec-0028-11ec-94c7-778e31f6d69e.html|website=The Weekly Journal}}
The district features a Caribbean Cinemas VIP theater with a restaurant and bar, food service, seven IMAX screens with ScreenX, and one Caribbean Cinemas Extreme (CXC) screen with a 4K projector and Dolby Atmos sound system.{{Cite web|date=June 30, 2021|title=Anuncian apertura del nuevo Caribbean Cinemas VIP en el Distrito T-Mobile|url=https://www.metro.pr/pr/entretenimiento/2021/06/30/anuncian-apertura-del-nuevo-caribbean-cinemas-vip-en-el-distrito-t-mobile.html|website=Metro PR}} ToroVerde Urban Park is a family entertainment center which features a food court, arcade, virtual reality experiences, a climbing wall (promoted as being the tallest in the Caribbean), and ziplines across the district.{{Cite web|date=July 6, 2021|title=ToroVerde Opens Urban Park in T-Mobile District|url=https://www.theweeklyjournal.com/business-gallery/toroverde-opens-urban-park-in-t-mobile-district/article_0a7fa1a8-de88-11eb-9334-d7e0ec23f38c.html|website=The Weekly Journal}}{{Cite web|date=2021|title=ToroVerde Opens Urban Park|url=https://distritot-mobile.com/fun#toro-verde|website=Distrito T-Mobile}}
It also features a 177-room Aloft Hotels location, the chain's first in the Caribbean.{{Cite web|last=Journal|first=Newsroom, The Weekly|title=Distrito T-Mobile Celebrates Grand Opening|url=https://www.theweeklyjournal.com/business/distrito-t-mobile-celebrates-grand-opening/article_517c2aec-0028-11ec-94c7-778e31f6d69e.html|access-date=2021-12-16|website=The Weekly Journal|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://distritot-mobile.com/] {{in lang|es}}
{{Government-owned corporations of Puerto Rico}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coca-Cola Music Hall}}
Category:Government-owned corporations of Puerto Rico
Category:Performing arts centers in Puerto Rico
Category:Buildings and structures in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Category:2021 establishments in Puerto Rico
Category:Tourist attractions in San Juan, Puerto Rico