Davis Islands (Tampa)

Davis Islands
—  Neighborhood  —
Davis Islands Location within the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°55′44″N 82°27′11″W / 27.92889°N 82.45306°W / 27.92889; -82.45306Coordinates: 27°55′44″N 82°27′11″W / 27.92889°N 82.45306°W / 27.92889; -82.45306
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Hillsborough
City	Tampa
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID

Davis Islands is a Tampa neighborhood and archipelago made of two islands in Hillsborough County, Florida. Its proximity to Downtown Tampa, and its views of the Port of Tampa, make it a popular area to live. The population was 5,436 at the 2000 census.^[1]

History

Davis Island was built upon two man-made islands atop two small natural islands formerly known as "Little Grassy Key" and "Big Grassy Key" at the mouth of the Hillsborough River.^[2] The islands were built from mud dredged from the bottom of Tampa Bay in the 1920s and expanded. This dredge-and-fill operation was undertaken at the height of the Florida Land Boom by developer and Tampa native D. P. Davis. Davis then purchased all the dredged land for $350,000. He planned a resort community with three hotels, nine-hole golf course, airport, and swimming pool. D.P. Davis then sold 306 of the original lots for $1,683,582. The development stalled when the Florida land boom of the early 1920s wound down, and Davis was mysteriously lost at sea while making a transatlantic voyage in October 1926^[3].

Many of the original Mediterranean-style structures are still standing and have received national Historic Designation, as well as local protections. Buildings of note include the Palace of Florence and Mirasol. Today Davis Island is a mix of residential and retail areas. Most predominant today is an eclectic mix of architectural styles because of the slowdown in development in the 1930s.

About Davis Islands

Palace of Florence Apartments on Davis Islands

Davis Island is also home to Peter O. Knight Airport and Davis Island Yacht Club. Also on the Islands are the Marjorie Park Municipal Yacht Basin & Marjorie Park at 115 Columbia Drive and the Seaplane Basin just South of the Airport. Marjorie Park was donated to the City of Tampa and named by Davis after his wife Marjorie Merritt Davis.

With a canal fully separating a portion of the island from the rest of it, Davis Islands is technically an archipelago, hence the plural form "Islands" in its name. Originally, Davis Islands consisted of three islands. With the construction of the airport, however, the end of one canal was filled in to make enough land area for a runway, connecting the two largest islands at their southern ends and reducing the archipelago's island count to two.

Nearly all streets on the island are named after bodies of water or islands. They are loosely arranged in alphabetical order starting with Adalia Avenue. (the first street crossed after arriving on the island from the only bridge that connects it to the mainland) and ending with Severn Avenue, the street farthest away from the bridge that leads to the main island's southernmost point, on which the Davis Island Yacht Club is situated.

A pedestrian trail spanning most of the island is to be completed in 2010, with amenities such as benches and water fountains.^[1]

Business District

East Davis Boulevard is the commercial area of the neighborhood. Along several blocks there are restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops in a tranquil sidewalk setting.^[2] The area is also very pet-friendly due to the pedestrian nature of the island.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Famous residents

It was reported that Derek Jeter was building a 30,875-square-foot (2,868.4 m²) home, a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom waterfront home in the vicinity, drawing comparisons to an aircraft carrier. The home is supposed to dwarf the already enormous homes in the area and become the largest home in the Tampa area.^[9] Other celebrities make the island home as well such as Brad Culpepper and Tampa Bay Lightning Captain Vincent Lecavalier. ^[10][11][12]

See also

• Downtown Tampa
• Harbour Island
• List of Mediterranean Revival Style Buildings of Davis Islands
• Palma Ceia

References

1. ^ http://www.theplanningcommission.org/library/onlinelibrary/datafolder/census/00census/2000%20Population%20by%20Neighborhood.pdf
2. ^ History of Davis Islands
3. ^ http://etd.fcla.edu/SF/SFE0000200/InSearchofDavidPaulDavis.pdf
4. ^ http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2002/05/10/Citytimes/Go_dogs_go.shtml
5. ^ http://www.sptimes.com/2004/04/28/Hillsborough/Liquor_squabble_turns.shtml
6. ^ http://www.tbt.com/bars/listing.jsp?ident=7600
7. ^ http://blogs.tampabay.com/wingman/2009/06/counting-down-tampa-bays-best-bars-no-60-to-no-41.html
8. ^ http://www.dibuzz.com/2009/09/30/anchor-bar/
9. ^ Richard Mullins (July 15, 2009). The Tampa Tribune. Derek Jeters mansion will easily be Tampa's biggest home. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
10. ^ http://www.sptimes.com/2003/06/17/Floridian/He_s_ever_the_great_d.shtml
11. ^ http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1026935.ece
12. ^ http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/15/derek-jeters-mansion-will-easily-be-tampas-biggest/news-metro/

External links

• Peter O. Knight Airport
• Davis Island Yacht Club
• Tampa General Hospital
• Davis Island Chamber of Commerce
• Historic Tour of Davis Islands (Tampa, Florida)
• Maps and Aerial Images Google Maps
• South Tampa Community News