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Yay Penske! Yay Whitler!
Save the Newsboy Shelter | belleisleconservancy
It would have cost $650,000 to refurbish, and there was
a fundraising effort under way? There were HOPES of an
MEDC match?
[Full disclosure. This is the first I am hearing about this.
It would have been a lower priority donation from me.
On the other hand, there was recently a state takeover
of Belle Isle from the City of Detroit with some implicit
public understanding that Belle Isle was not being properly
taken care of. Whether tearing down this shelter
is part of properly taking care of it becomes the question.]
There used to be a small newsstand structure on Michigan Ave near Woodward.
Likely other places as well.
Anybody have any info/dates on the Michigan Ave Stand?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dumpling
There is a difference between "taking care of" and exploitation. People were upset when Kwame Kenyatta wanted to put in a waterpark.
https://www.michiganradio.org/post/b...cil-skips-vote
It had been on the table to convert Belle Isle into a state park
but Detroit's city council would not vote to approve that. In the
subtext of their non-vote, however, any and all funds from the
state designated for the improvement and up keep of the island's
amenities would have been gratefully accepted. If the State of
Michigan were to have designated specific grants for specific projects
on Belle Isle, then brought these grants to City Council for
final approval, of course I can't say this for sure, because I'm
not a council person, but I think the Detroit City Council would
have given their approval at the time.
One thing to consider is, who is being extractive and who is
being inclusive. Some might have a sense that Belle Isle was
about to be converted to extractive uses if it were to become a
state park. Fees for entrance, parking tickets, parking fees,
assiduous towing away of cars parked anywhere but in
designated places would all be extractive uses.
Recently there was a news item about a pizza parlor owner
being sickened by the City of Detroit's ticketing practices and
taking action to prevent them.
If a municipality is being deceptive about issuing three
dollar handicapped parking tickets for spots that are not
clearly marked as such, then it is being extractive. Although
it was a form of graffiti, the pizza parlor blue street paint
should have been allowed to remain.
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/new...ting-road-blue
Well on the bright side, the City of Rochester Hills is coming
close to raising $50,000 for an innovative park that MEDC will
match once $50,000 has been raised.
https://www.patronicity.com/project/..._playground#!/
For the Old Newsboy picnic shelter on Belle Isle, the amount
raised on the fundraising site was $2,500, and there was no
mention of MEDC picking up the rest of the tab, be it $50,000
or $650,000.
The honorable Belle Isle major donors are as follows:
https://www.belleisleconservancy.org/givingsociety
Three on the corner of Woodward & Michigan: The Majestic, Family news stand, & George’s. Another just a block away at Griswold, Triangle news.
Attachment 41459
Wow! Gut-wrenched! On the island last month to walk about, we talked about this historic picnic shelter being renovated!! It could have been a beautiful structure!
I remember stopping there in the mornings with my Dad on our 1st couple trips to Detroit. He got a paper and I got a chocolate bar - in the morning! It was a red structure if it's the same one.Quote:
Originally Posted by wilderness
Unbelievable. Greatest act of public vandalism at Belle Isle since Coleman Young ordered the bus shelter torn down in the middle of the night. The person responsible for this needless destruction needs to be publicly revealed, and very publicly fired.
Since DYES is sometimes ahead of the major local news outlets on items of interest, I hope one of them does some reporting and we find out WTH happened here.Quote:
Originally Posted by EastsideAl
I'm honestly disgusted. Was anybody aware that this was going to happen? They did this quick and quietly without telling anyone it seems.
From the BIPAC meeting minutes of last August:Quote:
Originally Posted by Satiricalivory
"The Stewardship unit put together and submitted a package to the State Historic Preservation Office requesting that we remove the newsboy shelter. Historic pieces will be salvaged, if possible."
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeM
Why did NOBODY report on this? Fuck our media is a damn joke.
Because you, the public, don't want them to. You certainly don't want to pay for your news anymore, and you've shown through your clicks that you're only interested in tabloid stories. And the rest of you will complain about this yet at the same time talk trash about Detroit and the condition of the park, and how you would never set foot in Detroit, and of course you would never attend a meeting or donate to the cause, as demonstrated by the meager $2585 donated to the $50,000 restoration fundraising goal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Satiricalivory
HUH? I think you're confusing me with somebody else. I don't click on any tabloids.
There are so many philanthropic organizations in the city, why did nobody reach out?
This is not really fair. I've been a member of the Friends of Belle Isle/Belle Isle Conservancy for over 30 years, and have given thousands of dollars to them over the years for just this sort of project. But the last word from them on this issue was:Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeM
"The Belle Isle Conservancy has committed to supporting a fundraising campaign, led by the BIC’s Historic Preservation Committee, to achieve this goal and fully restore the Newsboy. Fundraising avenues are currently being researched and the Conservancy has initiated talks with Patronicity, a civic crowdfunding and crowd-granting platform that brings local citizens and sponsors together to support community initiatives, with the hopes to receive a Michigan Economic Development Corporation [[MEDC) match on any crowd-funding total."
There was never any word that complete destruction of the shelter was imminent, or that the state wasn't going to work with us to attempt to preserve the structure. The fact that there was any special fundraising that had begun received no publicity at all. Then we get a sentence buried at the end of a statement about other things in the minutes of a basically private zoom meeting of an "advisory committee", which hardly constitutes any reasonable form of public notice at all.
But at least what you posted partially answers my question above, since the statement was made by DNR apparatchik Amanda Treadwell. The same double-talking annoyance who has obfuscated and clouded the truth while the DNR partially destroyed and closed the handball courts.
We're only a few years into this experiment and I've already pretty much had it with the separate but [un]equal approach of the state and the DNR to Detroit and Belle Isle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastsideAl
Penske and the State took the Ilitch/ Maroun approach to this restoration. The did nothing to preserve it, ran it completely into the ground, and then said it would cost too much to restore it. Watch for more paving coming to a natural migration stop near you.
The states control over it is time limited,one would have thought when that deal was inked that there would have been restrictions on the whole scorch and burn aspect.
But then again there was a lot of support and cheering when the state took it over,so cause and effect was not a well thought out part of that.
What is near and dear to the history and hearts of the city,is not the same as it is in state hands,it is going to be looked at totally different.
City based grass roots are going to get mowed down because the state is looking at it without emotions and it will be strictly a numbers game,how those in the city feel about it,went away the day that paper was signed.
Penske had nothing to do with it. As documented in various BIPAC meeting minutes, the shelter was infested by terminates and wood rot for years. The fundraising drive did raise enough to save it. Earlier this year, the decision was made to have it demolished before it collapsed on itself. Architectural significant pieces were removed, the entire shelter was scanned and architectural blue prints were created. Being a permanent structure, the city council approved its demolition.
Thanks JRiordan... and welcome to the group! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by JRiordan
I figured that there was something about it that made it beyond salvageable. Glad they have the plans to recreate it possibly. Now if only the price of lumber would come down! ;)
This structure was renovated back when Coleman Young spent millions on Belle Isle infrastructure soon after becoming mayor. It was done almost 50 years ago and could have been renovated again.