Before the Channel District evolved to include the convention center, Channelside, Sparkman Wharf, and the Water Street development, the area was dominated by warehouses, industrial operations, and distributors. Earlier in the 20th century, it served as a major hub for shipping, employing thousands of longshoremen who lived and worked nearby.

One of the prominent buildings was the W.J. Eve Warehouse. When this photo was taken, around 1960, it housed two food brokerage firms—Stetson Fleming and Sons and Walter Dopson Co. The warehouse stood at the intersection of Water Street (now Channelside Drive) and Florida Avenue.

By 1970, many of the district’s businesses had closed or moved to newer port facilities, and the area entered a period of decline. By the mid-1970s, property values had fallen, parcels had been abandoned, and urban blight had become increasingly visible.

In the mid-1980s, the Tampa Port Authority acquired the waterfront property and drafted a master plan for revitalizing the area. Although many aspects of the original plan were never realized, it laid the groundwork for the transformation seen today—including the JW Marriott hotel, which now sits at the same corner where Stetson Fleming and Sons once operated.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved