Plaza Las Américas is a shopping mall in Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico, located at the intersection of Routes 18 and 22. "Plaza", as it is known to many Puerto Ricans, was the first indoor shopping mall built in Puerto Rico. It is the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean and the second largest in Latin America. Anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's, Old Navy, Caribbean Cinemas and Marshalls. Previously, there was a Kmart store near the mall and a Sears Brand Central. The mall is home to the world's largest Romano's Macaroni Grill restaurant.
History
Background In 1918, siblings Jerónimo, Rosa, Gerardo, and Jaime Fonalledas acquired of land previously known as "Las Monjas". This land was property of Don Pablo Ubarri Capetillo, the Count of Santurce. By 1920, little by little cane harvesting was eliminated with the intention of using the land for the creation of a milk company, eventually known as "Vaquería Tres Monjitas".
1950–1969: Development and opening In 1950, the metropolitan area of San Juan was growing rapidly. The planning board began to build the project and ordered the development of the lands. It is then that the Fonalledas brothers came up with the idea of establishing a regional shopping center in the "Las Monjas" property. The planning board in cluded a space of 15 acres of land for a shopping center in its development plan.
On March 8, 1963, site preparation was to begin soon for the first regional shopping center in Puerto Rico, it had been reported by J. I. Kislak Inc., of Newark, N. J., named by the Fonalledas brothers of San Juan, developers of the project, to direct the planning, leasing, promotion, and financing of the first stage of the center. To be known as Plaza Las Américas, the retail facility would have approximately 900 feet of frontage on Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue, directly opposite the city's new $5 million municipal stadium. Initial plans called for construction of an $8 million first section, which would contain approximately 550,000 square feet of retail store space. This section would cover about 50 acres in the development. Parking space would be provided for 4,200 cars. The center had been planned to give the largest possible number of local merchants an opportunity to solve their needs for expansion, as well as their parking and traffic problems. One of two major department stores, including a local one, would form the hub of a 55 store development. According to the Kislak realty firm, merchants at the Plaza Las Américas shopping center would provide the widest variety of products and services ever assembled in Puerto Rico at one location. The shopping center was being designed by Lathrop Douglass, New York architect, in cooperation with Sacmag of Puerto Rico Inc., a leading architectural and engineering firm in San Juan at the time. Douglass and his associates had designed more than 40 large shopping centers throughout the United States.
On January 26, 1964, Macy's, New York department store, was reported seriously considering opening a store in the Plaza Las Américas, which would be the largest shopping center on the island when completed. Construction had just started and it would be an estimated two years before completion. Representatives from Macy's arrived on the island that week to confer with officials of the shopping center. If satisfactory leasing terms could be arranged there was a strong possibility Macy's would open up there. This would be its first store outside of the continental United States.
On January 18, 1965, it was reported that JCPenney had signed a lease for a major retail unit in Plaza Las Américas shopping center, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Announcement was made by the J. I. Kislak Organization which was representing the owners of the planning, leasing, financing, and promotion of the center. Slated for construction to start October 1965, Plaza Las Américas would occupy a site fronting approximately on Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue, directly opposite the Municipal Stadium, in the geographic center of the city. The new store would comprise of floor space, and would be the largest department store ever built in Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest in the Penney chain. In its first stage, Plaza Las Américas would have 550,006 square feet of floor space, and would feature a completely enclosed, air-conditioned, all weather mall, for the comfort and convenience of shoppers. Investment for the entire project is expected to reach $3 million, which would also include an area devoted to high-rise apartments. Lathrop Douglas was the architect, in cooperation with Sagmag, of Puerto Rico. The Kislak firm reported that approximately 70stores will be located in the center, and that negotiations were currently underway with a retailing chain for another major department store, which would complement the Penney unit. In addition, Kislak said, firm commitments had already been obtained from representative local concerns for a substantial number of stores in the retail hub. Owners of the property were Jeronimo and Jaime Fonalledas, of San Juan. They were represented at the signing by their local counsel, Jaime Saldana, and by Arthur Levin, of New York. The J. C. Penney Company was represented by Everett Moore, then vice-president, and by Elting Smith, the chain's counsel. Negotiations for Penney were conducted by Ralph P. Betts. The 1,700-store at the time Penney chain, founded in 1902, expected to reported sales in excess of $2 billion this year.
On March 18, 1966, it was reported that a Newark based firm had provided mortgage financing for the largest regional shopping center in Latin America. The J. I. Kislak Organization reported that its Mortgage Division has arranged an $11,000,000 mortgage for 25 years with The Equitable Life Assurance Society on Plaza Las Américas, a 596,000 square foot retailing complex being built in the Hato Rey section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Scheduled for completion in the fall of 1967, Plaza Las Américas covered a 55 acre tract at Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue and Las Americas Express, opposite the municipal stadium. The Kislak Organization was the development consultant and leasing broker for the owners, the Fonalledas family, of San Juan. Major tenant of the new shopping hub would be the J. C. Penney Co., with a 277,000 square foot department store, one of the largest in its nationwide chain at the time. The F. W. Woolworth Co. would also have a 48,000 square foot variety store. More than 30 stores by this point were leased. Among them were units of the Pueblo Supermarkets chain, First Federal Savings and Loan Association, Commonwealth Theatres, Thom McAn Shops, Singer Sewing Machine Co., and many other large San Juan retailers.
Tenant coordination and construction progress, 1967
On July 15, 1967, it was reported that Plaza Las Américas, Inc. held its first meeting of tenants and architects that day at the site of the shopping center that was being built in Hato Rey. All tenants were invited. It was the first time that Plaza Las Américas had invited to see the progress of the construction. The huge shopping center, which would have space for approximately 75 tenants. The site was 50 acres of land with parking facilities for approximately 4,000 cars. Plaza Las Americas would have 750,000 square feet of air-conditioned retail space including the 3 J.C. Penney floors. One of the main aspects of Plaza Las Américas was its air-conditioned gallery. Approximately 14 acres of land would be occupied with buildings that would house the stores. J. I. Kislak Organization were the exclusive leasing agents for Plaza Las Américas. Peter Jacobson, the center's project manager, said tenants were invited along with their architects and decorators to see how construction was going. According to Jacobson, Plaza Las Américas would be finished by the fall of 1968. The purpose of this meeting, according to Jim Vickers, manager at the time of J. I. Kislak, was to show tenants and their architects the many advantages of an enclosed gallery. This was a new business concept that had never been used in Puerto Rico. All the stores would be open to the gallery, offering the buyer absolute comfort and protection from inclement weather and traffic, and at the same time a pleasant atmosphere that invited shopping. Vickers said that Plaza Las Américas would have a Spanish motif in its architecture. Sacmag of P. R. were the architects for the project. In addition to J.C. Penney, the Kislak Organization was negotiating with other major local department stores to occupy approximately 10% of all leasable space. Among the tenants and officers who attended the meeting were Don Jerónimo and Jaime Fonalledas, main owners of Plaza Las Américas: representatives of J.C. Penney; Joseph Aramanda, Senior Vice President of the J.I. Kislak Organization; John Kelly, Kislak VP and executives of the 75 tenants that would occupy the site. Jacobson explained that Plaza Las Américas was employing 400 men in the construction work, but he expected that in the following 60 days the number would rise to 700. He reported that the gallery would have a park with water fountains and notably an area where children can play. "This will be one of the largest and most modern shopping malls. Plaza Las Américas will have a wide variety of stores, from large department stores to a movie theater. It will be a city within a city," Jacobson said. Among the many local firms that would occupy Plaza Las Américas were: Pueblo, Lema, Velasco, Clubman, Tartak, La Favorita, Bird's, Naveira, and the First Federal Savings and Loan Association.
González Padín lease announcement, 1967
On October 28, 1967, The J. I. Kislak Organization of Newark, N. J., announced that González Padín, Puerto Rico's oldest and best known department store chain at the time, had signed a multi-million dollar lease for a 2-story, 76,500 square foot building in Plaza Las Américas, the air conditioned regional shopping center being built. The $35 million shopping hub, to be the largest on the island, was scheduled to open in fall of 1968. This was the second major department store brought by the Kislak realty firm, the center's exclusive leasing broker, to Plaza Las Americas. Kislak had previously announced that the J. C. Penny Company would have a 3-story, 277,000 square foot store there.
Pre opening status and features, late 1967