Isola di Lolando

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Isola di Lolando
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Pilings from the Lolando Island sea wall
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Isola di Lolando
Isola di Lolando
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Isola di Lolando
Isola di Lolando (North Atlantic)
Geography
Location North Atlantic
Coordinates 25°48′15″N80°09′30″W / 25.8043°N 80.1584°W / 25.8043; -80.1584 Coordinates: 25°48′15″N80°09′30″W / 25.8043°N 80.1584°W / 25.8043; -80.1584
Administration
County Miami-Dade
Pilings from the Lolando Island sea wall, with Belle Isle, Rivo Alto Island, and Di Lido Island visible in the background. Isolda-di-lolando-site-photo-2.jpg
Pilings from the Lolando Island sea wall, with Belle Isle, Rivo Alto Island, and Di Lido Island visible in the background.

Isola di Lolando is an unfinished artificial island in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Hurricane damage and economic collapse caused the project to be abandoned shortly after the start of construction, but pilings remain visible in the bay and are a hazard to navigation.

Biscayne Bay lagoon located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida

Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long and up to 8 miles (13 km) wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is 428 square miles (1,110 km2). The drainage basin covers 938 square miles (2,430 km2).

Florida State of the United States of America

Florida is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States. The state is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida. Florida is the 22nd-most extensive, the 3rd-most populous, and the 8th-most densely populated of the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan area is Florida's most populous urban area. Tallahassee is the state's capital.

History

In the early 1920s, audacious developers like John S. Collins were known for selling pre-construction property in the middle of Biscayne Bay before the islands had even been built. Demand was strong and there was virtually no environmental regulation, leading developers to envision filling Biscayne Bay with artificial islands. With unlimited waterfront property available, it seemed that the land boom had no end in sight.

John S. Collins Developer of Miami Beach, Florida

John Stiles Collins was an American Quaker farmer from Moorestown Township, New Jersey who moved to South Florida and attempted to grow vegetables and coconuts on the swampy, bug-infested stretch of land between Miami and the ocean, a barrier island which became Miami Beach.

The Shoreland Company and The Venetian Island Company were attempting to build a chain of new Venetian Islands in the water south of the Julia Tuttle Causeway in north Biscayne Bay. The first was to stretch from the causeway to Di Lido Island, and was to be called Isolda di Lolando, [1] continuing the Venetian theme of the existing successful artificial island projects.

Venetian Islands, Florida Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

The Venetian Islands are a chain of artificial islands in Biscayne Bay in the cities of Miami and Miami Beach, Florida. The islands are, from west to east: Biscayne Island (Miami), San Marco Island (Miami), San Marino Island, Di Lido Island, Rivo Alto Island, and Belle Isle. Flagler Monument Island remains an uninhabited picnic island, originally built in 1920 as a memorial to railroad pioneer Henry Flagler. The islands are connected by bridges from the Miami mainland to Miami Beach.

In 1925 the population explosion in South Florida had begun to strain local resources, and railway shipping companies began raising prices. In October the old Danish war ship Prinz Valdemar capsized in the channel in the port of Miami on its way to becoming a floating hotel, blocking shipping access to Miami for weeks. That summer brought the 1926 Miami Hurricane, which devastated an unprepared populace and heavily damaged local infrastructure. The Shoreland Company went bankrupt in 1927 amid objections to "further mutilation of the waterway". The 1929 stock market crash and subsequent onset of the Great Depression [2] ensured that Lolando Island was never completed.

Great Depression 20th-century worldwide economic depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late-1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how intensely the world's economy can decline.

A Miami real estate bubble burst in the mid-1920s as a land boom fueled by outside speculators was stricken by economic realities and unexpected hurricanes. [3] One failed development project left its remains scarring north Biscayne Bay near Miami Beach, Florida. Concrete pilings from the sea wall of the incomplete Isola di Lolando still remain perfectly aligned in the shape of a new "Venetian island", stretching from the northern tip of Di Lido Island to the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble, which burst in 1925. The land boom left behind entire new cities, such as Coral Gables, Hialeah, Miami Springs, Opa-locka, Miami Shores, and Hollywood. It also left behind the remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City in south Miami-Dade County, Fulford-by-the-Sea in what is now North Miami Beach, Miami's Isola di Lolando in north Biscayne Bay, Boca Raton, as it had originally been planned, and Palm Beach Ocean just north of Palm Beach. The land boom shaped Florida's future for decades and created entire new cities out of the Everglades land that remain today. The story includes many parallels to the real estate boom of the 2000s, including the forces of outside speculators, easy credit access for buyers, and rapidly appreciating property values.

Miami Beach, Florida City in Florida, United States

Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which separates the Beach from Miami. The neighborhood of South Beach, comprising the southernmost 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) of Miami Beach, along with downtown Miami and the Port of Miami, collectively form the commercial center of South Florida. Miami Beach's estimated population is 92,307 according to the most recent United States census estimates. Miami Beach is the 26th largest city in Florida based on official 2017 estimates from the US Census Bureau. It has been one of America's pre-eminent beach resorts since the early 20th century.

The pilings sit in about 5–10 feet of water and extend about 5–10 feet above the water, depending on the tide. The pilings and the island's outline shape are clearly visible from the Julia Tuttle Causeway as well as from many of the tall buildings that overlook the bay. They present a clear hazard to boat navigation and the interior of the island is a peaceful place that remains free of boat and jet ski traffic for kayakers, dolphin, manatee, sting rays, manta rays, and many types of fish.

Though faint, the island's pilings and outline can still be seen from space, via Google Earth and Google Maps, [4] and from Yahoo Maps. [5]

Isola di Lolando piling ruins seen from Julia Tuttle Causeway Isola di lolando miami beach 01.jpg
Isola di Lolando piling ruins seen from Julia Tuttle Causeway

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