Coconut Grove in Coral Gables in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Coral Gables Waterway
Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, June 28, 2014
1. Coral Gables Waterway Marker
Inscription.
Coral Gables Waterway. . When developer George Merrick (1886-1942) and the Coral Gables Corporation conceived the master plan for Coral Gables in the 1920s, the city's boundaries encompassed waterfront acreage allowing access to waterways. The original city boundaries went from Key Biscayne, south to Soldier Key and then back to the coastal wetlands called Chapman Field Park. Merrick´s promotional brochures advertised his new city as "Forty Miles of Waterfront" offering a ride in a gondola (narrow boat with curved ends used on the canals in Venice) from the Biltmore Hotel to Tahiti Beach (now part of the Cocoplum neighborhood). Although his grand vision was not realized due to the 1926 land bust, the Coral Gables Waterway has endured. The eight-mile-long waterway cuts west from Biscayne Bay to the intersection at Cartagena Plaza, then curves north, paralleling Riviera Drive on its way to the Biltmore Golf Course. It also connects the waterway's western loop through the University of Miami campus and the Mahi Waterway. The Coral Gables Waterway today has rugged limestone that rises up to 20 feet or more to the crossing beneath the LeJeune Road Bridge.
When developer George Merrick (1886-1942) and the Coral Gables Corporation conceived the master plan for Coral Gables in the 1920s, the city's boundaries encompassed waterfront acreage allowing access to waterways. The original city boundaries went from Key Biscayne, south to Soldier Key and then back to the coastal wetlands called Chapman Field Park. Merrick´s promotional brochures advertised his new city as "Forty Miles of Waterfront" offering a ride in a gondola (narrow boat with curved ends used on the canals in Venice) from the Biltmore Hotel to Tahiti Beach (now part of the Cocoplum neighborhood). Although his grand vision was not realized due to the 1926 land bust, the Coral Gables Waterway has endured. The eight-mile-long waterway cuts west from Biscayne Bay to the intersection at Cartagena Plaza, then curves north, paralleling Riviera Drive on its way to the Biltmore Golf Course. It also connects the waterway's western loop through the University of Miami campus and the Mahi Waterway. The Coral Gables Waterway today has rugged limestone that rises up to 20 feet or more to the crossing beneath the LeJeune Road Bridge.
Erected 2012 by A Florida Heritage Site. Sponsored by Florida Society Children of the American Revolution, the Miami Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, and the Florida
Location. 25° 42.349′ N, 80° 15.644′ W. Marker is in Coral Gables, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is in Coconut Grove. Marker is at the intersection of South Le Jeune Road (State Road 953) and Sunset Drive (State Road 986), on the right when traveling north on South Le Jeune Road. Marker located on the Cartagena Plaza roundabout. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Miami FL 33146, United States of America. Touch for directions.
LeJeune Road pedestrian bridge is in the background.
Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, June 28, 2014
4. Limestone rising 20 feet under LeJeune Road bridge
Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, June 28, 2014
5. Coral Gables Waterway
Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, June 28, 2014
6. Coral Gables Waterway
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,239 times since then and 173 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 29, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.