The Mall of San Juan

The Mall of San Juan
Alternative names	MoSJ
General information
Type	Shopping mall
Address	PR-17 and PR-8 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00924
Inaugurated	March 26th, 2015 (Expected)
Cost	US$475 million dollars
Owner	Taubman Centers
Technical details
Floor count	3
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Hobbs + Black Architects
Main contractor	Taubman Centers, New Century Development
Other information
Number of stores	100+
Number of anchors	2
Parking	3,500 spaces (Three 5-story ramps and five surface lots)

The Mall of San Juan is an upscale shopping mall under construction located across from the San José Lagoon at the south end of the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge, near the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is set to open on March 26th, 2015 and will be anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, both being the first stores in their respective chains in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Future plans include an hotel and casino to operate under the Crowne Plaza flag, as well as a set of office buildings.

History

The land where the mall now is was once a building complex which originally served as housing for the 1979 Pan American Games. The buildings were demolished in 1998 in what was a world record for most buildings to be demolished simultaneously with explosives.

Originally, the project was called Nueva Puerta de San Juan when it was first planned in the 90s. In the 2000s, it was renamed Plaza Internacional. Construction of the mall had been paralyzed for several years due to financing issues and a lawsuit by the owners of the nearby Plaza Las Americas. New Century Development would later file a lawsuit of their own when Plaza Las Americas announced plans for an expansion. The project was later given its current name and finally broke ground in 2012.