Detroit Boat Club Docks

[leady106]

I noticed that they are currentlly removing part of the docks at the Detroit Boat Club. Does anyone know the extent of the removal? Also, is this to be pernament or are they expanding or retrofitting the dock for the skulls?
I toured thru the Boat Club when they had an open house during the free Belle Isle day and thought the the docks and the building itself was is better shape than it appears from a distance. The building interior appears as it has not been updated in 30 years and the only major problem is the northern porch structure.
I think a way to help maintain the building and docks would be to rent slip space to house boats and putting all profits into the boat club's maintainence budget.

[Mikeg]

Detroit Free Press, May 4, 2012:

Work begins to repair Detroit Boat Club in preparation for Belle Isle Grand Prix

[p69rrh51]

I noticed that they are currentlly removing part of the docks at the Detroit Boat Club. Does anyone know the extent of the removal? Also, is this to be pernament or are they expanding or retrofitting the dock for the skulls?
I toured thru the Boat Club when they had an open house during the free Belle Isle day and thought the the docks and the building itself was is better shape than it appears from a distance. The building interior appears as it has not been updated in 30 years and the only major problem is the northern porch structure.
I think a way to help maintain the building and docks would be to rent slip space to house boats and putting all profits into the boat club's maintainence budget.

The building is in awlful condition I cannot tell how bad it really is! The biggest problem are the underpinnings holding the island itself up the bundles of piliings are exposed to the river and are rotting away. The last estimate I know about to repair them was 20 million and that was over 20 years ago, who knows what the cost would be now. The clubhouse either needs to be torn down or moved to a more stable location.

[Seven Seat]

The building is in awlful condition I cannot tell how bad it really is! The biggest problem are the underpinnings holding the island itself up the bundles of piliings are exposed to the river and are rotting away. The last estimate I know about to repair them was 20 million and that was over 20 years ago, who knows what the cost would be now. The clubhouse either needs to be torn down or moved to a more stable location.

This is incorrect. This building was build as a boathouse for rowing and is not actually on Belle Isle, but is constructed on pilings in the Detroit River. When first opened, there was no land around the building at all, water went right up to the walls of the building. This was done to ease the launch and recover of the clubs canoes and rowing shells.
The cedar pilings that the building sits on have been inspected twice over the last 15 years and are considered sound and structurally solid. In fact, it is necessary for the pilings to remain wet or they will deteriorate. On the ground floor are a number of access panels. Lifting these revels that the river continues to flow under the building. In the earliest years of the club there was a large open access apx. where the men's showers are now know as 'the plunge'. This was used as a short of indoor swimming pool.
Infill around the building started in the 1910s and was pretty much like you see it now by 1926 when the swimming pools were completed.
The exterior of the building appear to be in poor shape, in particular the West and North elevations. Most of this is deteriorating stucco, the structure underneath is sound. The interior of the building is warm and dry and retains much of its original grandeur. The building has never been vacant, the rowing crew continues to row and train there six days a week, seven during race season.
The removal of the rotting and damaged docks is hoped to be only the first step in the complete renewal of this historic Apheus Chittenden designed boathouse.

[p69rrh51]

This is incorrect. This building was build as a boathouse for rowing and is not actually on Belle Isle, but is constructed on pilings in the Detroit River. When first opened, there was no land around the building at all, water went right up to the walls of the building. This was done to ease the launch and recover of the clubs canoes and rowing shells.
The cedar pilings that the building sits on have been inspected twice over the last 15 years and are considered sound and structurally solid. In fact, it is necessary for the pilings to remain wet or they will deteriorate. On the ground floor are a number of access panels. Lifting these revels that the river continues to flow under the building. In the earliest years of the club there was a large open access apx. where the men's showers are now know as 'the plunge'. This was used as a short of indoor swimming pool.
Infill around the building started in the 1910s and was pretty much like you see it now by 1926 when the swimming pools were completed.
The exterior of the building appear to be in poor shape, in particular the West and North elevations. Most of this is deteriorating stucco, the structure underneath is sound. The interior of the building is warm and dry and retains much of its original grandeur. The building has never been vacant, the rowing crew continues to row and train there six days a week, seven during race season.
The removal of the rotting and damaged docks is hoped to be only the first step in the complete renewal of this historic Apheus Chittenden designed boathouse.

The infill has been gone for years and all the pilings are exposed the the river and the relatively swift current!! They are rotting away! Nobody ever brings this up and those who are trying to save it know but are trying to keep that secret to raise funds. I spent over half of the 50 years of my life there [[so please do not lecture me on the clubhouse) and if you REALLY look around you will see the building is showing signs of distress. I would prefer to see the building moved a more stable location as any historic structure of this stature whether its a Chittenden or not should be preserved. Removing the docks is akin to making a silk purse out of a sows ear!

Images of one of the areas in question. There used to be a roof there. So what part of sound structure do you really understand? Are those supports there for decoration? The water damage underneath the exposed areas is probably more the what you can see.

[p69rrh51]

Last do you know why the pools are filled with water? Because if the were empty the would pop up and float on the water where the infill should be!!

[Trumpeteer]

The infill has been gone for years and all the pilings are exposed the the river and the relatively swift current!! They are rotting away! Nobody ever brings this up and those who are trying to save it know but are trying to keep that secret to raise funds. I spent over half of the 50 years of my life there [[so please do not lecture me on the clubhouse) and if you REALLY look around you will see the building is showing signs of distress. I would prefer to see the building moved a more stable location as any historic structure of this stature whether its a Chittenden or not should be preserved. Removing the docks is akin to making a silk purse out of a sows ear!

Images of one of the areas in question. There used to be a roof there. So what part of sound structure do you really understand? Are those supports there for decoration? The water damage underneath the exposed areas is probably more the what you can see.

That's true of ANY inground pool where you have freezing winter temps. Water is kept in to prevent the "popping up" of the pool liner. Also the fact that a part of a roof is gone has nothing to do with the substructure of the building. Let go of your negativity and let those who want renovate this historic structure on the same site.

[FourSeat]

As a follow up to the earlier observations, in the 15 years that the Friends of Detroit Rowing has been maintaining the building, significant work has been done, much of which has been unseen by the public unless they have been down for our events such as Shiver on the River or the Detroit Historical Society tours where they have been able to see some of the interior work. The dock work that is now visible to the general public is just one of the new initiatives being undertaken to the exterior. We can share some of these as they are heppening over the coming months.

The FODR board has been working diligently with the city and several interested organizations to address both the short term and longer term goals for this fine building while still overseeing one of the premiere rowing programs in the country and the oldest continuously active sporting organization in this city.

I would encourage anybody ineterested in rowing or this fine building to go to detroitboatclubcrew.com and think about joining one of our summer programs including Learn to Row, Recreational Rowing, Masters Competitive Rowing or the other programs that we provide.

This weekend, we had several of our Alums at the Dad Vails in Philadelphia [[National Championships for Collegiate Club teams) and other sollegiate conference championships winning medals for the colleges that they have advanced to. Some of these crew will be back at the boathouse this summer rowing for the DBCC in Club Nationals and other regattas.

Our Masters continue to medal around the World including the Canadian Henley, Amsterdam, San Doego Crew Classic, Head of the Charles, Head of the Schuylkill [[just this last year).

Ou juniors have regularly qualified for Youth Nationals, won chmpionshiops and competed on the US National team across the globe.

All the while flying the Detroit Burgee that you will see flying from our flgpole and atop the boathouse.

If you happen to be living or working downtown, the crew is a great way to keep in shape and keep involved in an organization that has been central to Detroit since 1839 and rowing out of the current building since 1902.

Come join the fun