Distrito T-Mobile, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Scope of Work: Design Review, Design Development, Financial Modeling, Procurement.
Product Categories: LED Display Systems, Rigging, Broadcast Systems, Audio Systems, Control Systems, Entertainment Lighting.

Distrito T-Mobile is a a five-acre hospitality and entertainment complex in the heart of San Juan, Puerto Rico. AJP was engaged by AEG Worldwide to review an existing video recommendation for the Times Square-inspired, events-anchored public plaza, and to come up with a LED systems design to maximize impact and opportunity. For Audio and LED Display Systems, AJP reviewed provided proposals and weighed cost/benefit of used components vs. new, then engaged with vendors to find and price an appropriate audio system option. Scope of Work included Design Development and provision of corresponding financials for LED Displays.

AJP was also contracted for AV technology upgrades for the District’s Coca-Cola Music Hall. Located in the newly developed entertainment district, the 129,000-square-foot, three-level venue hosts concerts and shows. For AV technology, AJP designed alternative systems solutions to achieve a better system fit overall, providing advice on pricing and best practice for the systems the client was interested in pursuing. Providing design development and financial modeling for entertainment lighting, AJP developed a lighting design and budget for three (3) possible options that would suit the facility. The turnkey solution included plot layout of the lights for all three options, along with power loads, motor controls and power distribution in the lighting grid.

www.theweeklyjournal.com
August 11, 2021

T-MOBILE DISTRICT: SAN JUAN’S TOP NEW VENUE

Despite opening gradually, the entertainment hub has dazzled locals and travelers

After being delayed over the COVID-19 pandemic, the T-Mobile District’s tiered opening has quickly placed it high in the public consciousness, becoming the top destination for a multisensorial experience unlike any presented in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Located in the Convention District, in the heart of San Juan, the T-Mobile District is a behemoth of entertainment, featuring concert and media venues, gastronomic diversity, bars, an urban zipline park, a hotel, a VIP movie theater by Caribbean Cinemas, and a plaza with a digitized stage system comprised of over 14,000 square feet of LED displays to show interactive content, among others.

This new hub of activity required an investment of roughly $185 million, according to Federico “Friedel” Stubbe Jr., CEO of PRISA Group, which is the developer and chief investor for the T-Mobile District.

The goal of this center, he said, is to showcase before the world Puerto Rico’s cultural richness, while supporting local entrepreneurs and encouraging audiences to rethink the island as a premier tourism destination. “Everything that has been done there has many tasks, many details, and it is that all the concepts are made by Puerto Ricans for the Puerto Rico market, and destined to reflect the best of our culture, music, flavor, art in a very authentic place. Authenticity has defined and guided and inspired us in creating this collection of experiences that we are offering in the T-Mobile District,” Stubbe told The Weekly Journal.

“Rather than saying the number of businesses, I call it a collection of experiences. Everything we have done here is an experience for the people who visit us, for people to celebrate to the max, celebrate life, celebrate triumphs, connect in real-time and space – not virtually – and enjoy it to the fullest,” he added.

Stubbe explained that the idea originated a few years ago, after years of working in the tourism industry and developing several hotels in the San Juan area. According to the CEO, Puerto Rico, as a tourism destination, was lacking in elevating the visitor experience and optimize overnight stays. He observed that while the average stay for travelers in Puerto Rico is 2.6 nights, in other comparable countries and jurisdictions visitors stay for “four, five and even six nights on average.”

By creating a unique entertainment center, he and his business partners hope to incentivize domestic tourism and encourage travelers to prolong their stay on the island “with a world-class project that reflects the best of us and our culture.”

Asked if the T-Mobile District will offer package deals in collaboration with hotels, tour guides or tourism-focused entities, he said that they are still finessing the details ahead of the District’s complete opening in August. However, he acknowledged that his team is “working on curated experiences for those who visit us,” particularly in light of the highly anticipated return of cruises to the San Juan Bay, just minutes away from the District.

“We have to think big, we have to collaborate with all the parties and the entire private sector. It is an example that when we think big and collaborate, we can do great things in Puerto Rico because we have the talent, we have the wherewithal… we are a great society. Sometimes our daily challenges drain us, but I hope it inspires others to continue to develop new structures into the future and showcase our best on a global level. Puerto Rico as a destination and as a place is a global player; we can do great things when we dare,” he affirmed. “That site is full every day… We are very grateful for the reception that the project has had in its pre-opening stage and we are very enthusiastic.”

Unique Venues for Everyone

The T-Mobile District stands out from other destinations in that it hosts a variety of venues and centers for people of all ages. One of the most popular assets in the District is the ToroVerde Urban Park, which adapts the iconic zipline from the Adventure Park in the mountains of Orocovis to a cosmopolitan setting.

Jorge Jorge Flores, CEO of ToroVerde, explained that the Urban Park consists of an arcade, a maze with games and challenges, a play area for children, virtual reality experiences, the Verbena Food Fair – where guests can enjoy typical Puerto Rican food generally sold at kiosks – and two urban ziplines. Regarding the latter, the Blazing Bull carries the visitor over to the Convention Center and back, while the Sky Bull takes people through the District itself, right above other guests.

He informed that this one-of-a-kind attraction was made possible through an investment of approximately $8 million and has generated over 200 jobs. “The reception of the people who have visited us has been something spectacular. The experience that people have had – either in family groups or in couples as they have come – has been very attractive,” Jorge stated.

Another top stop in the T-Mobile District is the Coca-Cola Music Hall, which will make its grand debut on Aug. 14 with an Ednita Nazario concert. Other artists and bands in the pipeline include Pedro Capó, Caramelos de Cianuro, El Gran Combo, Camilo and more. “Every week there are several events at the Coca-Cola Music Hall already scheduled and the billboard is filling up fast,” Stubbe asserted. Per the Music Hall’s official website, there are concerts scheduled up until December thus far, several of which have already sold out.

In addition, the District is home to the first Aloft hotel in Puerto Rico, with 177 rooms and a $50 million investment. Aloft San Juan offers approximately 3,500 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and 40,000 sq. ft. of public areas such as bars, restaurants, pools and outdoor terraces that integrate innovative technology.

“We are changing Puerto Rico’s hospitality landscape as the only hotel located within San Juan’s premier entertainment destination, El Distrito, and the first Aloft hotel on the island as well as in the Caribbean,” said Toni Stoeckl, global brand leader of Aloft Hotels…