Isla Grande (Santurce)

Isla Grande is one of 40 subbarrios of Barrio Santurce, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[1]

Isla Grande
Subbarrio
Coordinates: 18°27′14″N 66°05′48″W
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Municipality San Juan
BarrioSanturce
Area
 • Total5.2 km2 (1.99 sq mi)
 • Land2.0 km2 (0.79 sq mi)
 • Water3.1 km2 (1.20 sq mi)
Population
 • Total246
 • Density120.2/km2 (311.4/sq mi)
 (US Census 2010)

Recently named the Convention Center District[2] or "Distrito del Centro de Convenciones:[3] it is bounded by Miramar, and the Condado Lagoon or Laguna del Condado. The Puerto Rico Convention Center, the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport also commonly known as Isla Grande Airport and the International Port of San Juan are in Isla Grande.

History

This western section of Santurce was once a military base of the United States Navy during World War II.[4] When it was completed in 1942, the San Juan Naval Air Station, located next to the San Juan Harbor, was "the most complete and modern American base" at a cost of 30 million USD.[5] It was a prime installation for five patrol squadrons of seaplanes, a defense-housing project and a major dry dock facility with shops, storehouses, fuel storage and other support centers.[6]

Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility
A U.S. Army UH-72 Lakota helicopter assigned to the Puerto Rico Army National Guard

The Puerto Rico Army National Guard (PRANG) Aviation Support Facility in Isla Verde is right next to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport. Its mission is to support the Puerto Rico Army National Guard Aviation Units and U.S. Army South (USARSO) operations in the caribbean. Some of the military aircraft at this facility are the UH-72 Lakota and the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

Notable properties
There are several century old commercial façades still standing

The Sheraton Hotel of Puerto Rico in Isla Grande, became the first building in the Caribbean Basin to be LEED-certified by of the U.S. Green Building Council. This building complex is distinguished for fulfilling all the requirements of a LEED certified hotel with electrical models, recycling, disposal of construction materials, and the use of local and recycled materials. The hotel also runs with environmental rules involving energy consumption, quality and filtration of air, green cleaning detergents and materials, and a controlled laundry process designed to maximize the use of natural resources.[7]

The Puerto Rico Convention Center is a large stadium where sports events and concerts take place and was used as a staging area during Hurricane Maria relief efforts in 2017 and 2018.[8]

The Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport of Isla Grande Airport (SIG), between the Puerto Rico Convention Center and Pan American Cruise Pier, is just southeast of Old San Juan in Isla Grande.

The Arena Medalla is slated to open in 2020.[3][9]

  • Sheraton Hotel & Casino in Isla Grande
  • Isla Grande Airport (SIG)
  • Puerto Rico Convention Center

See also
  • Equestrian School of Isla Grande
  • Fireman Academy of Isla Grande
  • The Fragile Space
  • Isla Grande Flying School
  • Port Authority of Isla Grande
  • Port of San Juan
  • San Juan Bay Marina
  • San Juan Bay

References
  1. Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. 2010.
  2. "Puerto Rico's Growth is Exponential". TravelPulse.
  3. "Invierten $5 M en el Arena Medalla". El Vocero de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
  4. "ARMY & NAVY: Base Hunting". Time. 1938-09-26. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  5. "Puerto Rico Air Base". Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954). 16 January 1942. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  6. U.S. Bureau of Yards and Docks, Building the Navy's Bases in World War II: History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps, 1940-1946 (Washington: GPO,1947), 2: 1-9.
  7. Staff (7 August 2010). "Sheraton Opens Green Rental Service" Puerto Rico Daily Sun. Economy section, page 12
  8. Santiago, Iris Eden. "An insider's look at Puerto Rico Convention Center". Puerto Rico Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  9. Journal, Newsroom, The Weekly. "Arena Medalla to Debut on 2020 at El Distrito". The Weekly Journal.
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