Harbour Island Marketplace and People Mover

In the 1980s, Harbour Island was an ambitious residential, retail, and commercial development rising from the dirt of what had once been Seddon Island. The proposed $1 billion project was massive for its time. The first phase alone cost $130 million and included a $7 million people mover connecting the Fort Brooke parking garage with the entrance to the Harbour Island marketplace. The elevated tram reportedly could carry 2,700 passengers per hour, and a ride cost just 25 cents.

The Shoppes at Harbour Island opened with 25 stores and several restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining, including a branch of Tampa’s famed Columbia Restaurant. The Columbia later opened another concept, Cha Cha Coconuts, in the same building.

The 1985 grand opening was big news. Former President Gerald Ford attended along with other dignitaries, including Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez. An estimated 50,000 people were expected during the three-day opening weekend.

On the first day, 28 hot-air balloons gathered on a still-vacant portion of the island before lifting off in a colorful celebration. Ford offered his own unusual christening of the place by attempting to drive a golf ball across the Garrison Channel. It took the former president three tries to land one on the other side.

The new people mover created some opening-day confusion. Although a ride cost a quarter, the turnstiles only accepted tokens. After waiting in line for more than half an hour, some frustrated passengers reached the front only to be sent back to nearby change machines to exchange their quarters for tokens before boarding.

Although the Shoppes at Harbour Island was essentially a shopping mall, its atmosphere reminded some visitors of Disney World. Tampa Tribune writer Walt Belcher described many of the Marketplace businesses as gimmicky.

Lefty’s sold merchandise exclusively for left-handed people. Cheap Charlie’s Sole Suckers offered topless, laceless sandals designed to stick to the bottoms of your feet. Another entrepreneur charged $5 to take Polaroid photographs of customers posing beside a cutout of President Ronald Reagan. At Sound Tracks, visitors could make a karaoke-like recording of themselves for $10.

But beneath the opening-day excitement, Harbour Island faced a more serious problem.

Many of the island’s original buildings were devoted to commercial office space. By the time the complex opened, Tampa—and much of the nation—was experiencing a significant glut of available office space. In 1985, Hillsborough County’s average commercial vacancy rate stood at 21 percent.

The Shoppes initially attracted plenty of curiosity and enthusiasm, but by the early 1990s, its popularity had dwindled. The development never established a strong retail anchor, leaving the market with a collection of unusual specialty shops that could attract visitors but struggled to keep them coming back. High rents and low traffic led many to close.

In 1994, the development changed course. Management closed many of the remaining small shops as it shifted its focus toward larger businesses, particularly restaurants. They converted much of the retail space into offices. By 1998, the Shoppes at Harbour Island had become a leaner operation and was renamed Knight’s Point.

The people mover lasted only a little longer.

In 1999, the tram made its final trip across Garrison Channel. After years of losing money, Harbour Island management paid $5 million to get out of its agreement with the city. About $1 million was spent demolishing the elevated track that had once symbolized Harbour Island’s futuristic ambitions.

The city replaced the people mover with a free shuttle connecting Fort Brooke with Harbour Island. It no longer runs.

In 2014, Knight’s Point was sold for $7.5 million and rebranded “The Pointe”. They’ve added high-end eateries and refined the marina.

The rest of Harbour Island has also continued to grow and prosper. The nearly 177 acres are essentially built out, with roughly 2500 housing units and about 700,000 square feet of commercial and office space. It has certainly exceeded its proposed $1 billion price tag.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved