| Watson Island | |
|---|---|
| — Neighborhood of Miami — | |
| Watson Island and the MacArthur Causeway in the foreground | |
| Map of Miami neighborhoods. Watson Island is the smallest light-blue area, just above the western end of the elongated light-blue Port of Miami area. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Miami-Dade County |
| City | Miami |
| Government | |
| • City of Miami Commissioner | Marc Sarnoff |
| • Miami-Dade County Commissioners | Bruno Barreiro and Audrey Edmonson |
| • House of Representatives | Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R) and Luis García, Jr. (R) |
| • State Senate | Gwen Margolis (D) |
| • U.S. House | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.280 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-05) |
| ZIP Code | 33132 |
| Area code(s) | 305, 786 |
Watson Island is a neighborhood and man-made island in Biscayne Bay, in Miami, Florida, United States. Immediately east of the Omni neighborhood of Downtown Miami, it is connected to the mainland and South Beach, Miami by the MacArthur Causeway.
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The island was created by land reclamation in 1926 with material dredged from the ship channel to the Port of Miami, and was originally named Causeway Island. The island was later named for John W. Watson, Sr., who was Mayor of Miami 1912-1915 and 1917-1919. In 1932 Watson Island was considered for the site of Miami's Pan-American Exposition, a World's Fair and "International Merchandise mart." By the end of the 1940s, however, the site of the Exposition, now called Interama, was moved North to where Oleta River State Park is today.
The Goodyear Blimp base in Florida was located on Watson Island for many years. Vestiges of the old base still remain such as the imprint of the mooring circle and a paved path for a small tram that would transport passengers to the airship.[1]
Plans to develop the island started in the late 1990s and came to fruition when Jungle Island opened its doors in the summer of 2003. Since then, the Miami Children's Museum relocated to the island and as of 2004, the State of Florida was offering a site in the Island Gardens project on Watson Island to host the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Permanent Secretariat.[2] As of March, 2006 the Florida Department of Transportation was planning to construct a tunnel from the Port of Miami on Dodge Island under the main shipping channel to the MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island.[3] On May 24, 2010, construction began on the Miami Port Tunnel tunnel project.[4] The tunnel is set to be completed by 2014.
Aviation Center
Chalk's International Airlines maintained a seaplane base on Watson Island from 1926 until it ceased operation in 2007. As of 2006, the City of Miami is relocating the Miami Heliport to a site adjacent to Chalk's seaplane base, with the intention of creating an Aviation Center serving corporate and tourism needs.[5]
Ichimura Miami – Japanese Garden
The Ichimura Miami - Japanese Garden grew out of the efforts of Kiyoshi Ichimura, who sent objects, materials and artisans from Tokyo to Miami in the 1950s to construct the San-Ai-An Japanese Garden on Watson Island. The garden opened in 1961. As of 2006, the garden was being redesigned and reconstructed.[6]
Island Gardens
In 2004 the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County approved Island Gardens, a hotel and marina development on Watson Island. The development includes two hotels with a total of 500 rooms, retail and restaurant space, and a marina serving mega yachts.[7]
Jungle Island
Jungle Island opened its new facility on Watson Island in 2003. Originally named Parrot Jungle, the popular tourist attraction first opened in the Pinecrest neighborhood of Miami in 1936. Over the years, the attraction added thousands of animals to its collection and came to be a popular attraction for Miami residents and tourists alike. The park also hosts Miami's most popular event venue with its Treetop Ballroom.[8]
Miami Children's Museum
The Miami Children's Museum opened a new 56,500-square-foot (5,250 m2) facility on Watson Island in 2003. It has ten galleries, classrooms, birthday party rooms, a parent/teacher resource center, an educational gift shop, a 200-seat auditorium and a dining area.[9]
Miami Outboard Club
The Miami Outboard Club has been located on Watson Island since 1948. It is active in conservation and artificial reef programs, and provides social and educational activities. The club has boat slips, dry storage, a boat lift, a ramp for jet skis and other small craft, and a restaurant, bar and internet cafe.[10]
Miami Yacht Club
The Miami Yacht Club has been located on Watson Island since the late 1940s. It offers youth and adult sailing programs, and sponsors races, regattas and a Sea Scout ship. The club has boat slips, dry storage, and a lounge, bar and restaurant.[11]
Public Boat Ramp
There is a Public Boat Ramp with 50 oversized parking spaces for vehicles with boat trailers.[12]
The Miami based architectural and interior design firm Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Inc. has been developing a project for a complex called Miapolis the centerpiece tower of which at a total height of 3,200 ft (980m), would become the world's tallest building upon its completion.[13] Guillermo Socarras, who proposed the Miapolis development, is currently in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration to approve the project's height and hopefully create a no-fly zone over South Beach and the Port of Miami.
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