1640-12 Causeways J r•
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By a Pelican Island
newspMiami's : a sunken dreai n
few other
The p
every n Easily recognizable in Biscayne Bay Sessa — who was a director of Miami's
opened, between the Julia Tuttle and Venetianpublic library, then a professor at the Uni-
death.ati
causeways is a network of
death.T Y pilings ar- versify of Pittsburgh — reported that the
and,let ranged in a north-south rectangular out- island proposal received the blessings of
that spr line. The area within those pilings, land organizations such as leading realtors, the
By an submerged under roughly three feet of County Commission, the Business Wom-
at then water, is owned by the City of Miami en's League and, begrudgingly, the all-
tion of Beach and known today as Pelican Island. powerful Miami Chamber of Commerce.
of this Almost 50 years ago, it was supposed According to Sessa, W.H. Burwell, rep •
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' The i to have been called Isola Dilolando and resenting the promoters, persuaded the
about was to be the first in a string of islands split chamber by arguing that the bay was
running north and south in the bay from "now of no utility."
berg,a DiLido Island on the Venetian Causeway
1981.':. to what then was called Miami Shores Is- The sale of lots began on Oct. 20,
why r1_ lien Isles—Gems of America's Mediterra-
land but now is known as Indian Creek 1925, under the promotion called: "Nene-
happe
articles. Village and Bay Harbor Islands. Wean."
merits, Connecting these islands in a six-
Unlike other Miami building ventures.
Tha mile-long highway was to be Campanili the sale of the Venetian Isles moved slow-
series Drive. All the islands, as well as streets, ly - in fact, too slowly. When the real es-
In were to have Italian names — in keeping tate bust arrived, the project caved in with
which with the already platted and sold residen- only the pilings of Isola Dilolando as evi-
ly aft hal islands along the causeway: San dence of its existence.
Cox of Marco. San Marino, DiLido and Rivo Alto. On Oct. 27, 1944, the City of Miami
drawn Behind all this was the Bay Biscayne Beach paid $35,000 for the land inside the
tional Improvement Co., whose principals sought pilings and over the years glamorous ideas
desce not only to develop Biscayne Bay but for the property have been laid out —
Mi Miami Shores as well. Officers of the corn- only to fade out. The name Pelican Island
munitY pany were Hugh M. Anderson, Robert H. is not native to this network of pilings.
It 4 Gamble, Roy C. Wright, J.F. Chaille and
on F.C.B. LeGro. From 1912 to 1916, that was the name
very Plans for the chain of islands were given to Lummus Island, just east of
latter controversial, to say the least. Many op- Dodge Island. Today, Lummus Island is
Mi posed their creation, contending that the being redefined as an extgnsion of the
famil islands would destroy the beauty of Bis- Port of Miami.
nide cayne Bay. In a 1950 doctoral dissertation And there are no plans for the other
from for the University of Pittsburgh, Frank Pelican Island.
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IFrom The.tliarai Dail,.'Ve•k••and Metropolis. 1 -
Pine.' 192 1: pride County j \v" 4'
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CHAMBER POLLS t
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MEMBER VIEWS ; N.„, g cr, •MC.111.•9.1.
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ON BAY ISLES , k k
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The creation of six new islands in the T 0iWijOY.. .4-.. -.ii . • •
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northern shallow's of Biscayne bay has devel. . .
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oped opposition among a determined faction in
Tan, i,i
the Miami Chamber of Commerce.and as a re- __ a-- , f
— 01,..,1,I 1,11'HE 1./..........:4,1
suit that body began Tuesday to sound its 1.700 ; . 1,
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members for their views about the project. we -,“ .....0'----- 3_, •-. )I. :
.
A poll of this sentiment.it was virtually de. j g
5',.. 11 •1
tided at the chamber's open meeting Monday - . X -• . t
night. would decide whether or not Miami t•'• 0,4411,... 5-1
business men will throw their influence for or : er,10f4 , /. 0,‘ .. (..., -.../ i
against the sale of 836 acres of submerged land
3 •
in the bay by the state internal improvement I /
ishILICK. If),'9 lifor.,,!,;tr
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board to realty interests.
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This area,now under one to seven feet of (Horn The.V11(1,1i Daily Newi and Metropolis,
water. is desired by a new syndicate. formed June 16.19251 .'•I. I
by Hugh M. Anderson. Roy C. Wright and
other officials of the Venetian Island Co.and MIAMI CHAMBER ,--.,.
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the Shoreland Co..developers of Miami Shores. I 7'
ISLCI FE:
for conversion to a S200.000 development.
After heated arguments from both sides,a ,---
•--I /
resolution was adopted authorizing both sides GIVES APPROVAL . .,
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to prepare arguments in writing and submit
them to the chamber within five days.These • ___J ,
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will be copied and mailed to each of the mem- OF BAY ISLANDS Islauttd.12C0 8
(...-
liters.according to E.G.Sewell.president.At a I I
later meeting decision will be reached whether _ 7•"..•
the chamber will oppose or endorse the project. i i....--J
The development is to include six major is. Directors Act For Formation ;___.: I ---
lands extending from the largest Venetian is- of Better Business
land in a chain six and a half miles long to the Bureau
Miami Shores island in North Biscayne bay, - 'H 1•Ej,
f 1
Islands will be 1,000 feet wide with a 20.
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foot strip on the east side for parks and the Approval of the Miami Chamber of Corn.
next 100 feet for a boulevard to be dedicated to merce was given the proposed building of nine ' /
the public. Four drawbridges will connect the islands in Biscayne bay north of Venetian Is.
islands lands when directors of the chamber in regular R .!
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The central island will be more than two meeting Monday night voted in favor of the •i•
miles long.The two to the south will be 5.900 plan. Iso!. 11spri,' . . .
and 4.280 feet long.The northern island will be Action of the directors came after a refer- ' a-
„.. .
4.200 feet long endum of the chamber's membership showed a ....I.4 .
Four wing islands will also be built to pro. vote of 266 to 104 in favor of the project The V EN.:: I N - .. .
vide the county with locations for two cause- votes were counted at the meeting,
slii J
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ways which may be completed for $250,000. The directors,refused to go beyond the sen• ISI .,
the promoters say timent expressed in the referendum when they . ' P•I .. • '
The two islands connecting with the center declined to adopt reservations presented by the ' • • .
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island in line for the proposed Everglades ay. Miami Real Estate Board to regulate width of
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causeway are 4.750 and 4.350 feet long.The streets and sidewalks,shape of the Islands,and •
other islands are in line for a causeway at provide free use of the streets,boulevards and
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Fifty-fourth st.They are 2,200 and 2.100 feet in bridges by the public. , .
length The referendum ballot included arguments k
The chief objections voiced at the meeting for and against the project. it-4- •
Isola I•'I• toll°
Monday night were that the beauty of the bay Establishment of a Miami Better Business tt '1,4,v • .
'would be destroyed and that a precedent would Bureau was assured at the directors'meeting. , /fi'....
w .:'
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be set by the chamber for permitting mutilation when Walter Scott Bigelow,Lon Worth Crow fl/sen. -
of the waterway and M.O.Fullman were appointed as a commit- .,,..e ...
" '.446,
As the islands proposed come partly within tee to take immediate steps to bring about the !•.
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..._.444 .
the limits of the city of Miami Beach.a w ,,
aiver organization of such a bureau.A member of the . 40, , .tomss isv
of objections must be obtained from that city national vigilance committee of the Associated ' „„,„941.
before the development can take place,it was Advertising Clubs of the World Is to come here i•OLLiSS is .. .
• pointed out by City Clerk C.W.Tomlinson In September to help organize the bureau.
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'RIVO ALTO DI LIDO asor ,....SAN MARINO
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i ISL AND . ISLAND . IllhIilkISLAND ' ',7rierowe.
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VENETIAN r AUSfWAN • -1....• . ., .
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•••-t.i 'LAMM OT:j
. '•',4, - ' pFl;(t H ;t AND -- -, , NETIAN ISLAND!
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This enlargement of the never-built
.•: .'70Cgr'ti.".',::‘,..f.±,....._—, -.-___. 'fifir.".1r.„2 -- '2 Venetian Isles is taken from a 1926 map . •
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. . .. - JULIA TUTTLE CAUSEWAY•-- -..-7:s. - -- of Miami on file at the Historical
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... -"Ir--.I---•'—'—— • ---"*-.--........- - - . .,.,.,t. '
- Association of Southern Florida.The Julia . •
,-..,-.-2,r,'"Iffcg- -,•-•I'-‘ ,-.I- -.. .!""' .,
Tuttle Causeway today cuts across
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. ..«,;.;".:.,,,..., .,,7-.: . ' -',..-,,,,,,-'.i.,,,•: Biscayne Bay just immediately north of
1970 file photo of Pelican Island.Ione reminder of a venture failed Isola Diloiando. ...
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