Biscayne Bay’s Next Experiment with Water Taxis to Emerge with Island Gardens
Aug 28, 2013 August 28, 2013
Miami-based developer Jorge Perez’s Island Gardens, a three million-square-foot project on Watson Island, is proposed to be reachable by land vessels and water taxis alike. The $1 billion development proposal includes plans for a ten-station water taxi system to allow access to the island from Miami and Miami Beach while avoiding ground traffic. Of course, car access is still available with a planned 2,000 parking spaces included in the project.
A preliminary list of the nine proposed taxi stops already exists and includes:
- Island Gardens Marina
- Omni and Performing Arts Center
- Patricia and Philip Frost Science Museum and Perez Arm Museum Miami
- American Airlines Arena
- Bayside Market and Marina
- Icon and Epic Towers on the Miami River
- Miami Marina and SoFi District
- Overseas Passenger Cruise Ship Terminal
- Fisher Island
- Harbour Islands
Water taxi systems continue to be an exciting, and viable, prospect despite their unsuccessful implementations on Biscayne Bay in the past. Other plans for the island include a 13.5-acre marina with 60 slips, 200 residences, 500 hotel unites, and an additional 50,000 square feet of space for lease.