In the early 1920s, audacious developers like John S. Collins were known for selling pre-construction property in the middle of Biscayne Bay before the islands had even been built.

Demand was strong and there was virtually no environmental regulation, leading developers to envision filling Biscayne Bay with artificial islands.

In 1925 the population explosion in South Florida had begun to strain local resources, and railway shipping companies began raising prices.

A Miami real estate bubble burst in the mid-1920s as a land boom fueled by outside speculators was stricken by economic realities and unexpected hurricanes.

The pilings and the island's outline shape are clearly visible from the Julia Tuttle Causeway as well as from many of the tall buildings that overlook the bay.