Detroit's Belle Isle Boat House is in limbo

[masterblaster]

This would be an absolute disgrace if this building were to be demolished.

The redevelopment of this building was certainly envisioned when the state took over management of the island. Now the state demolished the Newsboy Shelter and now wants to demolish this building. Disappointing.

I would beg Roger Penske to put up a substantial portion of the funding if a viable redevelopment plan was to hatched. He had the Grand Prix on the island for many years and he was just announced as one of the richest people in Michigan, a billionaire.

The Building is also on the National Register of Historic Places, so it is eligible the State's Historic Tax Credit of up to $2 million.

What I never understood, is why the Detroit River [specifically the channel between the Island and mainland Detroit, not the shipping channel] never became a hotspot for pleasure sail boats like the Charles River in Boston, see below:

https://www.123rf.com/photo_20515515...achusetts.html

[Gistok]

What I never understood, is why the Detroit River [specifically the channel between the Island and mainland Detroit, not the shipping channel] never became a hotspot for pleasure sail boats like the Charles River in Boston.

The answer to that is called "Scott Middle Ground"...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3459...!1e3?entry=ttu

This submerged "island" is about 3 ft. under the waters surface, at its' most shallow. So from Belle Isle, the water depth goes from Belle Isle Beach down to nearly 30 ft., back up to only 3 ft. [at Scott Middle Ground], back down to nearly 30 ft., before the mainland shore.

So this part of the river north of the island is a hazardous area for boating, especially for deep keels or large rudders.

[Zacha341]

Interesting... that explains why the sail boats I used to see were not in dense groups around there years back!

The answer to that is called "Scott Middle Ground"...

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3459...!1e3?entry=ttu

This submerged "island" is about 3 ft. under the waters surface, at its' most shallow. So from Belle Isle, the water depth goes from Belle Isle Beach down to nearly 30 ft., back up to only 3 ft. [at Scott Middle Ground], back down to nearly 30 ft., before the mainland shore.

So this part of the river north of the island is a hazardous area for boating, especially for deep keels or large rudders.

[EastsideAl]

What I never understood, is why the Detroit River [specifically the channel between the Island and mainland Detroit, not the shipping channel] never became a hotspot for pleasure sail boats like the Charles River in Boston

Having sailed in both places I can tell you that the sheltered, slow flowing, and reasonably deep Charles basin is a whole lot easier sail than the fast-flowing, often very choppy, unpredictably windy, and very shallow in the middle, north channel of the Detroit River.