With 15 million square feet of shopping center space, over 20 of U.S. and world-renowned retail brands and top shopping center operators, Puerto Rico remains the shopping Mecca of the Caribbean, according to leading experts participating in this year's 2013 ICSC Caribbean Conference, organized by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Mega-mall developer DDR Corp. announced Wednesday plans to expand its redevelopment program on the island from $50 million to $90 million, creating additional space at its four shopping centers. As a result, it will sign up new tenants, including the first Bath and Body Works store in Puerto Rico, to be located in Plaza del Sol in Bayamón.
While much has been said about “economic uncertainty” and “consumer confidence,” the fact is that Puerto Rico’s economy has been in a state of disarray for so long it has become the new normal. So says Francis González, vice president of property management for DDR Corp., owners of 15 shopping centers islandwide.