Mouth of the Hillsborough River 1974

In the 1974 photo, on the West side of the Hillsborough River (left side of the photo), the most prominent buildings are along Parker Street. The Tampa Tribune Plant is being constructed where the Tampa Electric Company Peter O. Knight Power Plant once stood. The University Hotel and Denny’s Restaurant are at the corner of Parker and Kennedy. In the foreground are Christopher Columbus Park at the corner of Bayshore and Platt Street, and Tony Jannus Park is just north of the Platt Street Bridge.

On the east side, old warehouses and the former Mirabella’s Fish Company are at the bottom. The Swire House, which later became Cap Trust, is under construction, and further down the river, Curtis Hixon Hall and the Submarine USS Requin are north of Kennedy Blvd. Beyond that are the Barnett Bank and the Holiday Inn.

In the modern photo, on the West side, Tony Jannus and Christopher Columbus Parks are still there and are being retrofitted as part of the Tampa Riverwalk West construction. The Parkside of One Bayshore was constructed at the northwest corner of Platt and Bayshore after the homes there were demolished. The Selman (Crosstown) Expressway has been added in front of the Carl D. Brorein Street Bridge. The Tampa Tribune plant being constructed in the Gandy photo was demolished in 2017 after the Tampa Bay Times purchased the paper. It was replaced in 2019 by the eight-story, 400-unit Manor Riverwalk apartment complex. The spot where the University Inn and Denny’s stood sat empty for a couple of decades after they were demolished. The Miami-based Related Group purchased the 6-acre property and has begun construction of a massive, multi-phased development with up to 44 stories and an estimated 1,200 residential units.

On the east side, the Tampa Convention Center and parking lot have taken over where the warehouses and Mirabella’s fish company once stood. The Pendry, a 38-story condominium tower, is rising on the property that once held Cap Trust. Next to that, MacDill Park has replaced Pioneer Marine Company. Farther north along the riverfront, Curtis Hixon Hall and the parking garage have been demolished, and the submarine towed away. Rivergate Tower, built as NCNB, and the Tampa Museum of Art, along with Curtis Hixon Park, now inhabit that part of the riverfront. The Straz Center, originally constructed as the Tampa Performing Arts Center, now also shines on the east side. The former Barnett Bank, now called Ashley Plaza, still stands but is surrounded by the AVE Tampa Riverwalk apartment building. The Holiday Inn is now the Barrymore Hotel.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved