Belle Isle, Miami Beach, Florida

Belle Isle is an artificial island in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, USA. It is the easternmost of the Venetian Islands, a chain of artificial islands in Biscayne Bay in the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. It is home to apartment buildings, a portion of the Venetian Causeway, a city of Miami Beach park, and a hotel.

Renovations

Belle Isle Park, in the center of Belle Isle, is currently undergoing a renovation project [cite web | title=Park Construction Photos | url=http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/2006/06/park-construction-photos-for-travelers.html | accessdate=2006-06-19] that will include sidewalks, lighting and landscape improvements, picnic areas, and a dog park. [Cite paper | author= [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov The City of Miami Beach] | title=Park Planning Documents | publisher= [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org Belle Isle Residents Association] | date=2003-10-06 | version= [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/Park/hardscape.pdf Belle Isle Hardscape Plan] | url=http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/2005/11/park-planning-documents.html | accessdate=2006-06-15 ] A streetscape improvement project for the Venetian bridges is planned for 2008 and 2009. [Cite paper | author= [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org Belle Isle Residents Association] | title=Minutes of the Feb 15th 2006 BIRA board meeting | date=2006-02-20 | url=http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/2006/02/minutes-of-feb-15th-2006-bira-board.html | accessdate=2006-06-15 ]

Parking

Parking was free on Island Avenue on Belle Isle until 2005, when residents petitioned the City of Miami Beach to create a new residential parking zone in order to ensure parking for residents after the opening of the Standard Hotel. Island Avenue is now a residential parking zone, and you must buy a permit for Zone 14. [cite web | title=Residential Parking Permit Application | work=The City of Miami Beach [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/newcity/depts/parking/index.asp Parking & Transportation Department] | url=http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/newcity/depts/parking/ra_zone14_15.pdf | accessdate=2006-06-19|format=PDF] The Miami Beach parking department office at 11th and Washington is temporarily closed during renovation of the city hall building, [cite news | first=Susan | last=Anasagasti | title=Repairs force tenants out of Old City Hall | date=2006-05-21 | publisher=The [http://www.miami.com Miami Herald] | url=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/miami-dade/cities_neighborhoods/beaches/14617138.htm] so the department is handling many permits by mail. Belle Isle residents can purchase a one-year residential decal or one visitor permit hang tag per household for $46.00 or a six-month pass for $23.00. Belle Isle residents can also purchase up to five scratch-off one-day visitor permits per month for $1.07 each.

During park renovations, the city will need to close about 20 parking spaces at a time to make way for roadway construction. They will do the road work in sections, using a [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/Park/construction-pictures/new-parking-lot.jpgtemporary 20-space parking lot] toward the East end of the park to compensate for the closed parking spaces. [cite web | title=Parking During Park Construction | work=Belle Isle Residents Association web site | url=http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/2006/07/parking-during-park-construction.html | accessdate=2006-07-11]

Community

The [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/ Belle Isle Residents Association] was established in December, 2004. Board meets approximately 6 times per year. General Membership Meetings are called as needed at a minimum of once a year. [cite web | title=Neighborhood Associations | work=The City of Miami web site | url=http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/newcity/neighborhoods/neighborhood_associations_contact.asp#belle | accessdate=2006-06-15] The association's mission is to "enhance the quality of life for the residents of Belle Isle", specifically regarding "security, traffic control, ease of parking, noise control, park beautification, cleanliness, open spaces, planning, development, licensing, permitting, and all issues that may affect the residents and their quality of life on Belle Isle". [cite web | title=By Laws | work=Belle Isle Residents Association web site | url=http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/2005/11/association-bylaws.html | accessdate=2006-07-11]

History

Belle Isle was originally called "Bull Isle", and was later renamed [Braham D. Lavender, Miami Beach in 1920 pg. 27, 2002] . Unlike the other Venetian Islands, Belle Isle is not completely artificial. Like the Sunset Islands, Belle Isle was originally a rough mangrove hammock island sitting in north Biscayne Bay near the Miami barrier islands, before the use of the term "Miami Beach".

Before fruit farmer John S. Collins partnered with the wealthy investor Carl G. Fisher to build the Collins Bridge from Miami in 1913, the new luxury properties under development in Miami Beach and Collins' large avocado orchards were inaccessible except by ferry boat. When Collins dug the Collins Canal, work crews deposited dredged sand around the rough island at the mouth of the canal, increasing its land mass and defining its shape. The "improved" island, now cleared of mangroves and platted into small parcels of land [ [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov The City of Miami Beach] [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/weblink/docview.aspx?id=45254 Ordinance No. 170] , January 28, 1922, page 3, accessed on 2006-06-13] for single-family homes, extended into Biscayne Bay and allowed Collins and Fisher to build a relatively short wooden bridge across the bay by running the road over Belle Isle. The gateway to Miami Beach earned a reputation as an enclave for fashionable millionaires, such as Joseph H. Adams, whose sprawling estate occupied the southeast corner of the island.

During the Florida land boom of the 1920's, Belle Isle and Fisher's nearby Flamingo Hotel were the site of the famous Biscayne Bay Speed Boat Regattas. Fisher had successfully promoted automobile races in Indianapolis, and he used his skills to stage gasoline-powered speed boat races in the smooth waters of Biscayne Bay just south of Belle Isle as a spectacle to attract the wealthy and sophisticated tourists that he was seeking as a target audience for his new exotic vacation destination.

In 1942, the University of Miami turned a boat house on the Joseph H. Adams estate into the first "Marine Lab" for the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. [ [http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/info/history/ The Rosenstiel School: A Brief History] ] Belle Isle was also the site of the All Souls Episcopal Church as late as 1947. [photograph: [http://webcatalog.mdpls.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab69&npp=10&ipp=20&spp=20&profile=en-dial&ri=&term=romer+collection+belle+isle&index=.GW&x=12&y=10&aspect=subtab69 All Souls Episcopal Church, #18 Belle Isle, Miami Beach, 4-27-47] by Romer, Gleason Waite, 1887-1971.]

ee also

* Biscayne Island - Original site of Viking Airport.
* Collins Bridge - The first bridge from Miami to Miami Beach, which ran over Bull/Belle Isle.
* Flagler Monument Island - Site of an obelisk monument to Henry M. Flagler.
* Flamingo Hotel, Miami Beach - Carl G. Fisher's famous luxury hotel near Belle Isle.
* Isola di Lolando - A failed Venetian Island construction project.
* Venetian Causeway - The modern replacement for the Collins Bridge, which today runs over Belle Isle.
* Starfish Island - A landmark in the popular video game is based on Belle Isle.

References

External links

* [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/ City of Miami Beach]
* [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/ Belle Isle Residents Association]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=island+ave+and+farrey+ln,+miami+beach,+fl&spn=0.008186,0.006502&t=k&hl=en Satellite photo of Belle Isle]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=island+ave+and+farrey+ln,+miami+beach,+fl&hl=en Belle Isle on a map]
* Photographs of current park construction: [http://www.belle-isle-residents.org/2006/06/park-construction-photos-for-travelers.html Park Construction Photos For Travelers]
* Historical photograph: [http://fcit.usf.edu/Florida/photos/cities/miami/miami1/miami1019.htm East bridge of Venetialsic Way]
* Historical photographs from [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/weblink Miami Beach document archival system] :
** [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/weblink/docview.aspx?id=25250 Collins Bridge] some time between its construction 1913 and replacement in 1925
** [http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/weblink/docview.aspx?id=25249 Belle Isle in 1940]