Belle Isle closure.

[David L]

Hopefully the nail in the coffin for racing on Belle Isle. It was
a very hot day and half the park is closed.

[gvidas]

I wish that would happen but it's probably not going to, cos the people who put on the grand prix are still going to make a ton of money. The traffic jam MSP pushed into Jefferson today didn't cost them anything, and neither did all the disappointed people and disrupted plans.

I couldn't grab a pic, but there was a large message board behind the roadblock saying "ALL LANES OPEN FOR HOLIDAY WEEKEND." Someone should get a bonus for that masterful spin. All the lanes are open, because we aren't counting the parts that are closed due to the race construction?

On a brighter note, I had a really nice time in Gabriel Richard park today.

[jcole]

Says nothing about racing; it was overcrowded. It used to happen long before the Prix was even thought of; on Kite In day, fireworks, Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc. Should be glad people are using the Isle And it didn't happen until 4:15 in the afternoon.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/05/28/belle-isle-detroit-closed-overcrowding/649819002/

With hot weather in town, Belle Isle Park has become a popular place — so popular that the island is closed to further visitors.Around 4:15 p.m. Monday, the Michigan State Police announced on Twitter it was closing the island until some people left.
"We have temporarily closed Belle Isle Park due to overcrowding," the tweet said. "We are going to continue to monitor the crowd and as people leave we will let more on. Thanks for your patience as we keep the park safe for all that want to visit!"
Around 5:45 p.m., state police updated the closure, saying the island, which is a state park, was closed to vehicle traffic, but open to foot traffic.
Further details weren't available.

[southen]

It sucks but it also can be looked at as positive. Detroit is expanding its' parks along the river and it will give people even more options for holidays and hot days. The splash pad at Mt. Elliott park looked jammed, Atwater Beach should be open soon and eventually the West Riverfront Park is going to have water features and a beach for people to enjoy.

[southen]

Also, I do hope this helps us dump the Grand Prix on Belle Isle. The construction lead in for the event is a joke.

[Jimaz]

I thought I heard on the radio that the capacity is 3,000 vehicles. Can that be right? They said they have to limit it so emergency vehicles have access. It was still open to pedestrians.

[Honky Tonk]

Says nothing about racing; it was overcrowded. It used to happen long before the Prix was even thought of; on Kite In day, fireworks, Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc. Should be glad people are using the Isle And it didn't happen until 4:15 in the afternoon.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/05/28/belle-isle-detroit-closed-overcrowding/649819002/

Really? You don't think it had anything to do with half the island being shut down due to the Grand Pricks? Yes, I'm sure people were "glad" and should count their blessings.

[stasu1213]

It was an unusal hot Memorial Day weekend in Detroit so the island will over crowded. Some of the spin doctors had given the appearance that the whole island was closed. The Grand Prix had been on the island for almost 30 years. Where were the protesters then. Where were the protesters in 2008 when the Grand Prix restarted on the island? I am not in support in the privatilazation of Belle Isle and any other city owned island but I have to question the motives of the organizers of these protest movement. Race is being put on this spin but people are forgetting that under Pugh and council the City of Detroit had a chance to take control of the island and charge motorist to enter the island but some on the council protested against it. The State had taken over the island and guess what; motorists had to pay a fee to get on the island. Thise so called grass root leaders in Detroit have their own hidden agendas and could care less about the people nor the privatlization of anything

[Jason]

There are people who will protest anything.

The race brings money to the park, money to the local economy, and promotes Detroit on TV. Is just the area within the track route closed? If so it's a relatively minor hardship in exchange for good benefits. I do think the amount of time they take to set up is ridiculous though.

[Honky Tonk]

Thise so called grass root leaders in Detroit have their own hidden agendas and could care less about the people nor the privatlization of anything

Do tell, stasu1213, what do you think is this hidden conspiracy behind the protests?

[southen]

There are people who will protest anything.

The race brings money to the park, money to the local economy, and promotes Detroit on TV. Is just the area within the track route closed? If so it's a relatively minor hardship in exchange for good benefits. I do think the amount of time they take to set up is ridiculous though.

So 2-3 months of setup time during the spring where the only part of the island with cherry blossoms is completely barricaded is acceptable for a good look on television? What sort of ratings does this race draw? In addition can you tell me how much money Penske has actually put into the park outside of the resurfacing of the road that the cars use? I have yet to see any sort of accurate measure of how much the park has benefited from it being there, just the same vague quotes of "millions" in improvements.

To stasu regarding "where were the protestors in 2008" I would say that when the race was first brought back im not sure anyone knew that the setup time would dominate the most popular part of the park for 3 months or that the plans were to completely and permanently pave over a huge chunk of the island that looks like garbage outside of the three days it is actually used. The spin comes from those touting huge economic boosts from this race without actually provided hard data to support it. The protestors want the park to be *gasp a park. Detroit has changed. The park is improving through state stewardship and renewed interest in the city means they don't need to accept Grand Prix dollars out of desperation. There is no hidden agenda other than wanting to experience the park as intended.

[iheartthed]

Really? You don't think it had anything to do with half the island being shut down due to the Grand Pricks? Yes, I'm sure people were "glad" and should count their blessings.

You'd think there is a better place in the city for that event than Belle Isle. I took some friends to Belle Isle this weekend, their first time seeing it, and half of the island was closed off for the race. After all of the modifications they do of the park for the track, it doesn't really even give any marketable shots of the city, anyway.

[EGrant]

If showing off the city on TV is a goal/benefit of the Grand Prix, then maybe they should pick an event that people actually watch. Using Nielsen data, race #1 drew a 0.7 national rating and race #2 drew a 0.8 rating last year, which has flatlined around those numbers for several years now. For comparison, the final day of The Memorial golf tournament drew a 2.9 last year.

I'm not saying this is the only reason we have the race, but the TV benefits have been exaggerated. And so what if a national audience sees a few sporadic shots of the Ren Cen from a distance...

[iheartthed]

If showing off the city on TV is a goal/benefit of the Grand Prix, then maybe they should pick an event that people actually watch. Using Nielsen data, race #1 drew a 0.7 national rating and race #2 drew a 0.8 rating last year, which has flatlined around those numbers for several years now. For comparison, the final day of The Memorial golf tournament drew a 2.9 last year.

I'm not saying this is the only reason we have the race, but the TV benefits have been exaggerated. And so what if a national audience sees a few sporadic shots of the Ren Cen from a distance...

Even if it is a low-rating event, TV exposure for Detroit is a benefit of having the event there. Having the event in a location that doesn't allow the city to be seen isn't really the best use of the publicity.

[401don]

If showing off the city on TV is a goal/benefit of the Grand Prix, then maybe they should pick an event that people actually watch. Using Nielsen data, race #1 drew a 0.7 national rating and race #2 drew a 0.8 rating last year, which has flatlined around those numbers for several years now. For comparison, the final day of The Memorial golf tournament drew a 2.9 last year.

I'm not saying this is the only reason we have the race, but the TV benefits have been exaggerated. And so what if a national audience sees a few sporadic shots of the Ren Cen from a distance...

Interest and hence attendance at the race seems to have reached a low point as well. Somebody mentioned they make a lot of money on the race. I'm not sure that's true. Indy Racing is Penske's passion and I think he believes it's good for the city but I'm not sure he makes much money on it. It seems like a rich guy's hobby for him. Of course racing does get the Penske name out there which promotes his brands.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I am not in favor of having racing on Belle Isle, and I never have been. But we should realize that there is a cost to not having it there. The race invests money in the island park's maintenance, and does draw some [[although not huge) business to the city. I still favor it just being a park 365 days a year, though.

[Meddle]

I don't like it there, but at the very least there should not be closures on major holidays, even if it means a scheduling change.

Maybe move it to late June. Give them time to start set up after Memorial Day and tear down before the Fourth.

[Atticus]

Going to differ and voice a support for the race on Belle Isle. Agree that the closure length for construction every year is too long, and that the race should build more permanent structures so they don’t need as much time to construct/deconstruct every year.

But the truth is, the race brings in a ton of money to the park. Government fundng is going to continue to decrease over time as more taxes are being cut, so income from events like the race is essential to getting the park much needed funds. Not a race fan, but I do see it as a necessary evil overall for Belle Isle.

[southen]

How much does it bring in? What are the hard numbers on reinvestment to the park? I want supporters to stop being so vague regarding the monetary benefits.

[p69rrh51]

Southen, unfortunately its Roger Penske and the influence he has over the city. Personally I think the race on the Island has lived past its expiration date. Many years ago when the race was downtown I was in favor of moving it to a "better" location on the Island, but now its time for a permanent Motor Sports Park for every form a auto racing. I think the Park should be along 8 Mile where vacant land is plentiful.

[ABetterDetroit]

How much does it bring in? What are the hard numbers on reinvestment to the park? I want supporters to stop being so vague regarding the monetary benefits.

I couldn’t agree more.

Hard numbers. On this contract that ends this year and exactly what they would be on the next contract in public for scrutiny and debate BEFORE it is signed.

What Kevyn Orr agreed to while Detroit was in bankruptcy and when the entire country was a few short years out of a bad recession shouldn’t be very similar. Things change over time. If they didn’t change enough for the better in Indy car finances that would effect how people feel about having this race put the park through what it does to it.

[esighed]

Penske only pays $200,000 to rent 26% of the island from April 16 to June 23.
The Grand Prixmiere Dinner Fri before the race brings in $300,000 to $900,000 to pay the Belle Isle Conservancy for some programs on the island and to keep the aquarium free to the public. These are VIP donors and friends of Penske who drink a lot and pay $600 per plate for pricey auction items. Just charge a fee for the aquarium.
The repaving of the racetrack was done by MDOT for $4.1 million.
The lights on the bridge were paid for by Tom Gores for $80,000. The Casino which is Penske's media center had upgrades like AC and fire control. The 10 acre cement paddock was an "improvement" which cost Penske a lot. The fountain is working again but the 100 yr. old Pewabic tiles were destroyed in the process.The other "improvements" to the island are the permanent pedestrian bridge bases which are ugly and there year round, the curb cutouts where VIPs park across from the Boat Club, "free" storage of ugly cement barricades on the island all year, loss of access and views to the west end of the park to look through fences and grandstands, "priceless". The other "benefit" of the Prix is disturbing the bald eagle's nest on the island during the race, disturbing the migratory birds, turtles, snakes, foxes, beavers, oh, and sex trafficking on Jefferson increases tremendously during the race. Most people at the race go straight home and don't spend $ in Detroit. Millennials hate car races and ratings are down.Detroit doesn't need TV exposure of this race ruining our best park. Since DNR fixed the bathrooms, water mains, put in solar lighting and made it safer, 4.2 million people came to the park last year. That's $11 per year [[$9/day for out of state) per car going to state coffers.

[Honky Tonk]

Penske only pays $200,000 to rent 26% of the island from April 16 to June 23.
The Grand Prixmiere Dinner Fri before the race brings in $300,000 to $900,000 to pay the Belle Isle Conservancy for some programs on the island and to keep the aquarium free to the public. These are VIP donors and friends of Penske who drink a lot and pay $600 per plate for pricey auction items. Just charge a fee for the aquarium.
The repaving of the racetrack was done by MDOT for $4.1 million.
The lights on the bridge were paid for by Tom Gores for $80,000. The Casino which is Penske's media center had upgrades like AC and fire control. The 10 acre cement paddock was an "improvement" which cost Penske a lot. The fountain is working again but the 100 yr. old Pewabic tiles were destroyed in the process.The other "improvements" to the island are the permanent pedestrian bridge bases which are ugly and there year round, the curb cutouts where VIPs park across from the Boat Club, "free" storage of ugly cement barricades on the island all year, loss of access and views to the west end of the park to look through fences and grandstands, "priceless". The other "benefit" of the Prix is disturbing the bald eagle's nest on the island during the race, disturbing the migratory birds, turtles, snakes, foxes, beavers, oh, and sex trafficking on Jefferson increases tremendously during the race. Most people at the race go straight home and don't spend $ in Detroit. Millennials hate car races and ratings are down.Detroit doesn't need TV exposure of this race ruining our best park. Since DNR fixed the bathrooms, water mains, put in solar lighting and made it safer, 4.2 million people came to the park last year. That's $11 per year [[$9/day for out of state) per car going to state coffers.

+5 !!!!!!!

[Towne Cluber]

I think the Park should be along 8 Mile where vacant land is plentiful.

Where exactly?

[Towne Cluber]

How much does it bring in? What are the hard numbers on reinvestment to the park? I want supporters to stop being so vague regarding the monetary benefits.

Likewise, I'd like full disclosure on the backgrounds of detractors. Anti-car? Anti-business? Non-Detroiters? Non-representative of the majority of Detroiters?