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Puerto Rico Convention Center facts for kids

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Puerto Rico Convention Center
PRCC 2.JPG
Address 100 Bulevar Saint John,
Isla Grande, 00907
Location Isla Grande (Santurce), San Juan, Puerto Rico
Built 2000
Opened 2005
Enclosed space
 • Exhibit hall floor 157,000 sq ft (14,600 m2)

The Dr. Pedro Rosselló González Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) is a very large building in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is also called the Puerto Rico Convention Center. It is the biggest convention center in the Caribbean region. It is also one of the most modern in the Americas.

A convention center is a huge building where many people can meet for big events. These events can be business meetings, trade shows, or even concerts. The PRCC was designed by a company called tvsdesign.

The Convention Center has a huge Exhibition Hall. This hall is about 157,000 square feet. It can hold almost 17,000 people! There is also a large ballroom. It is about 39,500 square feet and can fit over 4,000 people. In total, about 25,000 people can be inside the center at the same time. It can host events with up to 10,000 participants.

The Puerto Rico Convention Center is managed by the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority. This group also runs other important places. These include the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum (a big arena) and the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico.

The center is named after Pedro Rossello. He was a former Governor of Puerto Rico. He was the one who first suggested building this amazing place. He also helped start its design and construction.

In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. The Convention Center was used to help people. It became a storage place for food, water, and other important supplies. It helped many people affected by the hurricane. The center reopened in early 2018. Since then, it has hosted many different events. The area around the center has also been improved. It now has hotels, restaurants, and other fun places.

History of the Center

The idea for the Puerto Rico Convention Center started many years ago. Here are some important dates:

  • 1994 - Governor Rosselló announced a big project. It was called the Golden Triangle Project. The Convention Center was a part of this plan.
  • 1996 - The design work for the new Convention Center began.
  • 2000 - Construction started with a special groundbreaking ceremony.
  • 2001 - The group that manages the center, the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, began its work.
  • 2005 - The Convention Center officially opened its doors.
  • 2009 - The center had welcomed 1.5 million visitors! It had hosted 1,500 events. Also, a big hotel, the Sheraton, opened next to the center.
  • 2010 - A law was signed to name the center after Governor Rosselló. Plans for a new entertainment area, called District Live, were also approved.
  • 2015 - The PRCC celebrated its tenth birthday. By this time, it had welcomed 4.7 million visitors.

Building the Convention Center

PRCC 3
The main entrance of the Puerto Rico Convention Center.

The design of the Convention Center was inspired by the ocean. Its roof looks like a big wave. Inside, you can see the ocean theme everywhere. Even the carpets and door handles have ocean-like designs.

Where is the Center Located?

The PRCC is in a part of San Juan called Isla Grande. This area used to be a US Naval Base. The Convention Center is very close to the Isla Grande Airport. It is also near the Port of San Juan Pan American Pier. This makes it easy for people to travel to and from the center.

The PRCC District

El Distrito under construction
El Distrito under construction.

The Puerto Rico Convention Center is part of a larger plan. This plan is to create a special area called the Puerto Rico Convention Center District. This district includes more than just the convention center.

One important part of the district is the Aloft hotel. It has 177 rooms. There is also a music hall that can hold 6,000 people. A Caribbean cinema is also part of the plan. The Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino is another big hotel in the district. With these hotels, the area now has over 1,700 hotel rooms for visitors.

Many new projects have been built in the district recently. These include several restaurants and bars. There is also a fun entertainment area called El Distrito. You can find a special park made of shipping containers there. The EcoExploratorio is also in the district. It is an interactive museum and aquarium. There are even film studios being built for movies and TV shows.

What the Center Offers

PRCC Exterior View
Exterior view of the Puerto Rico Convention Center.

The Convention Center is huge. It has a total space of about 580,000 square feet. It can hold groups of up to 25,000 people. There are three large exhibit halls, all on one level. These halls offer about 152,700 square feet of space for exhibits. The center also has parking lots for 1,800 cars.

The facility offers many modern services. It has fast internet and wireless connections. You can also do video calls and get language translations. All meeting rooms have Ethernet connections. There is a Business Center to help guests. It offers computer rentals, printing, copying, and shipping services. A security office is always on site. The center also has its own food services and cleaning teams for all events.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico para niños

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