Harbour Island Retreat

Beautiful flowers, landscaping, and palm trees in front of a red brick wall, mark the entrance to the waterfront community known as Harbour Island,... more

by Carolyn Marshall

Title

Harbour Island Retreat

Artist

Carolyn Marshall

Medium

Photograph

Description

Beautiful flowers, landscaping, and palm trees in front of a red brick wall, mark the entrance to the waterfront community known as Harbour Island, located in Tampa, Florida. This destination travel spot was originally known as Seddon Island, named after Seaboard Air Line railroad's chief engineer, W.L. Seddon. Seddon had a plan to build a new port for the city and submitted it for public hearing in 1906 which was approved. A channel was dredged and a port facility that was then called Grassy Island was established. Later, in 1979, Seaboard Coast Line sold the acreage so that residential, office and retail could be developed. Several years went by before the first phase could begin because the island still housed a phosphate terminal and had freight rail access. Using the Harbour Island People Mover, which was an automated tram shuttle system that ran on an elevated concrete trackway, Harbour Island was linked to downtown Tampa during the years of 1985 and 1999. The shuttle system connected the Harbour Island shopping center to Franklin Street parking garage which was located a mile and a half away.

Today, this beautiful island consists mostly of private residential areas, including high-rise condos, apartments, row houses, single-family homes and large houses, as well as a yacht club. There are hotels, nightclubs, small shops and cafes at the northern end of the strip. An in-town trolley connects the island to downtown Tampa, Channelside and other core neighborhoods such as Hyde Park.

Uploaded

October 12th, 2012