Is there a Tampa address more iconic, more desired, more hard to come by than one on Bayshore Boulevard? Sarah Weaver, a Realtor with Smith & Associates, notes that Bayshore homes are fairly unique from one another. Their typical acreage — huge by South Tampa standards — has given designers and builders the flexibility to build homes in any number of styles, from sprawling two-story traditional mansions with wide front porches to contemporary West Indies-style homes. But homes on the street are up for sale infrequently, maintaining Bayshore’s elusiveness — and thus, its allure — for so many. “Whether it’s in the golden triangle of Hyde Park or in Bayshore Beautiful, I think the key piece of it is everybody knows the iconic Bayshore Boulevard,” Weaver says. “When you’ve got something that’s a desirable address and then nothing’s available, the demand for that becomes that much higher.” Read on to step inside four of the homes that make Bayshore Boulevard Tampa’s place to be.
01. 1801 BAYSHORE
This home’s size and the notoriety of its occupants make it one of the street’s most notable homes, Weaver says. Currently owned by the president of Amalie Oil and previously by Lazy Days RV founder Don Wallace, and sitting pretty at 15,000 square feet on more than 1 ½ acres of land, it’s simply unlike anything else on Bayshore. “When most people think about mansions along Bayshore, their mind goes to that particular property because of the scale of it and the people that have lived there,” Weaver adds. “To try to reproduce that home today would be hard to do because of that parcel size. Most developers are now trying to snatch up something like that to build a high-rise on.” That is, in fact, what has happened with the street’s few remaining lots, resulting in high-rise towers like Virage Bayshore, The Sanctuary at Alexandra Place and Hyde Park House that have recently opened or are under construction. “There’s only a certain amount of parcels to have a single-family home, and people want to live along Bayshore,” Weaver says. “Both for Bayshore itself — the continuous sidewalk — and the accessibility to downtown and our amazing urban environment. So if you can’t get your hands on a house, the next best thing is living in a luxury tower.”
02. 4613 BAYSHORE
One of the street’s newest homes, this coastal-inspired West Indies property was designed by Cooper Johnson Smith and built by Loupin Construction to complement Bayshore itself. The house forms an L shape, with the windows placed so Hillsborough Bay can be seen from any point inside or outside. The highlight of the home is the resort-like backyard, which features a huge covered porch, courtyard pool and spa, kitchen, and living and dining area. “Really the [reason for the] L-shaped home is to enjoy that backyard space, but with the design of it and the glasswork, you can see out to Bayshore from the back rooms and the pool,” Weaver says. “It’s very subtle from the front, but when you get in, it’s like being at a Four Seasons or a Ritz-Carlton. It’s a complete retreat and oasis.” Beside the Italian-style pergola, the home also features a five-car garage — something that is few and far between in space-starved South Tampa.
03. 4605 BAYSHORE
Built in 1986 by former state senator, judge and rancher Paul Revere Kickliter (who neighbors report rode his ox from his property in Central Florida to this house), this Charleston-style house is set back from the street on nearly half an acre of land. As Weaver points out, the vast size of Bayshore lots compared to the typical South Tampa property plays a big role in their desirability. The inside is full of custom millwork and woodwork, from plank walnut floors to unique ceilings and built-in wood cabinetry. Outside, the pool and covered lanai sit beside the front of the home with clear views of the downtown skyline and Davis Islands, but being down at the Bayshore Beautiful end of the street and set back from the sidewalk, the homeowners are still afforded privacy, peace and quiet to enjoy their great outdoors.
04. 1111 BAYSHORE
Bayshore is home to few truly modern houses, so this one stands out. According to owner Jack Gordon, the original design was a collaboration between design aficionado Sergio Balsara, who first bought the lot, and noted Tampa architect Tommy Lamb, who designed the home. The completed home was listed by Greg Margliano of Smith & Associates, and Gordon and his wife, Carmen, continued working with Lamb to build out the home after the 2015 purchase, including a new exterior kitchen, rooftop lounges and a wine room. Last year, Gordon says, Lamb finally received variance approval to add a fourth level to the home; months later, he died from COVID-19. The addition at 1111 Bayshore will be completed posthumously and will be his final architecture project. “His vision for that property was spot-on. I think it will withstand the test of time,” Sarah Weaver adds. “His legacy will live on in the properties he designed.”
05. 901 BAYSHORE
Built in 1912, this is one of the street’s oldest homes, yet it has had just four owners over the century. Weaver notes that this home’s grandeur and then-modern solid block with poured concrete construction set it far apart from neighboring properties at the time. Perhaps most notably, it features a full basement and a third-floor attic space with a glass dome top — nearly unheard of in South Tampa. 901 Bayshore was originally built for Dr. W.E. Dorchester, a dentist turned real estate developer, and later occupied by the Hughey family, founders of SuperTest Oil and Amusement Park. A Hughey granddaughter shared her memories of growing up in the house with Weaver when the house was on the market at the end of 2019. “These historic homes have such interesting stories that go along with them,” Weaver says. “With the Bayshore homes, we always say, ‘if the walls could talk.’ That saying absolutely applies here.”
