San Patricio Plaza

San Patricio Plaza is a 640,000 square feet (59,000 m2) three-level enclosed shopping mall located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

The mall is located at the intersection of PR-2, PR-23, and PR-20, and has over 120 stores with its anchors being T.J. Maxx, Capri, Walgreens, PetSmart, Caribbean Cinemas and Office Depot, and Burlington, plus an outdoor shopping area known as "Liberty Square".

The shopping center, being located at the corner of San Patricio and F. D. Roosevelt avenues, would be planned to have several establishments.

[10] On December 3, 1964, developed by Interstate General Corporation, with Theodore Berenson administrating the shopping center, San Patricio Plaza was officially inaugurated.

Additionally out of those 16 establishments it had places such as Lerner Shops, Giusti, Thom McAn, Clubman, Rudes Decorators, Gordon's Jewelers, Bithorn Travel Agency, Park Avenue Gift Shop, Metalfraft Furniture Store, San Patricio Sports, and others.

The fire, which caused an estimated loss of $1.5 million, started in some boxes and sheets of cardboard partitioning walls behind the store outside the building.

As a result, after this event, the mall's management decided to enclose the facilities, adding a lower basement level with new stores which would bring the consumer at the time more alternatives to shopping at the center.

[15] In the 1970s, taking into account the economic conditions of the period in terms of high interest rates and oil costs, Interstate General Corporation decided to sell certain properties, including San Patricio Plaza, which was sold to the González Giusti family.

[16] In December 1978, the mall had establishments such as La Cobacha, Caribbean Music, Super Pet Center, Carrousel, Parklane Hosiery, Kress, Amado Beauty Salón, Candyland, and others.

In early 1991, Galería San Patricio shopping center located on Calle Tabonuco in Guaynabo was built at an investment of 1.1 million dollars.

The first phase of this project, consisted of eight stores that had an established clientele, including Sterling House, Kitchen Craft, and Marisol Freyre.

[21] In 1994, the first expansion of Galería San Patricio was completed, this included the two floors of the wing where Uno Chicago Grill was located.

On June 21, 2001, it was reported that San Patricio Plaza had announced it would begin that January a $60 million third phase of its then ongoing expansion that included a 10.5-story, 150,000 square foot office building, a 25,000 square foot retail strip, and a multilevel parking area for 1,100 vehicles.

In addition to having become a much larger, beautiful and welcoming place, this new remodeling added space for the restaurants, shops, jewelry stores and personal care salons, which were located there.

[22] On November 4, 2003, Bed Bath & Beyond inaugurated their store at the mall, the space counting with 41,000 square feet with two levels.

[26] In 2010, a TJ Maxx would come to fill the 28,000 square feet of space left by Circuit City, which closed in 2009.

[27] On August 28, 2012, San Patricio Plaza announced a renovation of its Food Court, pedestrian bridge and multifloor parking.

On December 5, 2019,[34] it was announced that Kmart's former space would be remodeled into an outdoor shopping area called "The Square at San Patricio Plaza", with an investment of $12 million.

[35] Construction was expected to begin in early 2020 and would have been completed in late 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this project was postponed for a year.

On October 20, 2020, it was announced that the mall's Village would undergo an enhancement project and would be made in collaboration with Guaynabo's government.

[49] Located in Guaynabo, a highly populated municipality, Felicilandia is a place steeped in nostalgia for some residents of Puerto Rico.

Aerial of the shopping center in 1964
Inauguration day in 1964
Walgreens at the shopping center on opening day in 1964
Firefighters combat fire in Kmart building in 1967
Park Avenue Gift Shop at the shopping center in 1969
New Almacenes González store in 1982
Area around San Patricio Mall in 2015