Isola di Lolando

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Coordinates: 25°48′15″N 80°09′30″W / 25.8043°N 80.1584°W / 25.8043; -80.1584
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Isola di Lolando
North Atlantic
Coordinates25°48′15″N 80°09′30″W / 25.8043°N 80.1584°W / 25.8043; -80.1584
Administration
CountyMiami-Dade
Di Lido Island
visible in the background.

Isola di Lolando is an unfinished artificial island in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Hurricane damage from the 1926 Miami hurricane, as well as the economic downturn that heralded the Great Depression, 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.

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.

The Shoreland Company and The Venetian Island Company were attempting to build a chain of new

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.

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

1929 stock market crash and subsequent onset of the Great Depression[2]
ensured that Lolando Island was never completed.

A

Julia Tuttle Causeway
.

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

Yahoo Maps.[5]

Isola di Lolando piling ruins seen from Julia Tuttle Causeway

References

  1. ^ Florida InsideOut Magazine, Competition No. 2
  2. ^ Discussions of Biscayne Bay
  3. ^ Florida Real Estate Bubble
  4. ^ Isola di Lolando on Google Maps
  5. ^ Isola di Lolando on Yahoo Maps
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