PARCEL D CONVENTION CENTER

Project Overview

• Block D, an urban lot located in Miramar, PR, became a key urban component of the Development of the PR Convention Center District into the Miramar Neighborhood. This lot became not only the transition but also the link between a historic neighborhood and the new urban development to be occupied by restaurants, entertainment and a convention center, among other. 

• This Mid-Rise – High Density Development’s typology relates to both the Convention District as well as the residential area surrounding it.

• Mixed use building including retail spaces, parking and 122 residential units  

  • Total Gross Square Footage:

    • Residential: 276,000 SF 

    • Retail: 12,000 SF 

    • Parking: 432 spaces 

    • Parking Levels: 4 levels; 1 below grade

• As a transitional block, the design carefully addressed the need to provide a building whose scale became a transition from mid-rise offices to terrace housing as well as to transition from the highly public Baldorioty de Castro Boulevard. Every side of the block responded to a unique character and amount of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic while maintaining a continuity of the street wall on all facades.  

• Balconies, courtyards and open spaces were implemented for climate control, natural light, natural ventilation and outdoor activities.

• The building’s mass was articulated in order to have a base between 18m (60’) minimum and 25 (85’) maximum with towers set above and rising to FAA height limitations.  Additionally, a 6 meter setback from the street provides a front yard garden, pedestrian friendly spaces as it also buffers residences from the street’s traffic. 

DDD Group joined efforts with OA+D to create a visionary and groundbreaking project for the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Parcel D.

The PR Convention Center District was conceived as a 4.0 million square foot mixed-used urban Neighborhood with a Convention Center, office space, residential and retail. As part of this master plan, BLOCK D, located at parcel D (see diagram) was surrounded by Baldorioty de Castro Boulevard to the west, Center Street to the south, and Avenida Fernandez Juncos to the east and north. Its primary pedestrian access was through Baldorioty de Castro Boulevard, Avenida Fernández Juncos, and Center Street. Vehicular access was limited to Center Street only as no entrances for parking and/or service are allowed from Avenida Fernandez Juncos or Baldorioty de Castro Boulevard.

The park located along the north side of the parcel serves as a shared amenity to both the development as well as to the existing neighborhood. This park not only creates a visual connection but also a physical one to the Miramar neighborhood as a pedestrian crossing to the Miramar neighborhood. Sightlines link this open space with the Block F park and to the larger Paseo of the Convention Center District as it transitions to the Isleta crossing and across intersection 5 to the San Juan Waterfront Canal Walk.