It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Tampa Riverfront began to shift from an industrial to a more commercial and pedestrian-friendly area. Ever since the city was born the waterway was used for commerce, a place for boats to deliver goods and local businesses to own piers. Railroads stretched across much of the land fronting the river. In this 1957 photo, the west face of the Lafayette Hotel built in 1929, with the Collier Terminal building with the billboard advertising Woodward-Crowder Co. Insurance in the center.

The hotel was demolished in 1963. In 1964, the ground was broken for a new International Business Machines (IBM) building featuring a large raised plaza overlooking the river, a high-ceiling lobby, and an elliptical shape. It operated as an office complex for several businesses until 2005 but was eventually vacated. After a $20-million renovation in 2014, the Aloft Hotel opened its doors in its place. The Collier building was demolished, and in 1968, the Manger Inn opened there. It is now the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel by Marriott. After 40 years of planning and construction, the 2.6-mile Tampa Riverwalk built along the seawall of the Hillsborough River is open. It affords a beautiful view of the waterfront and a pathway for pedestrians.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved