Belle Isle Neglect

**Lowell** · May-15-21, 12:50 PM

Okay State of Michigan Belle Isle State Park, you've had enough time. What's going on? Belle Isle is by far your most visited state park in Michigan yet it abounds with neglect, abandoned structures and features. A couple of days ago, I came across another.

I drove past the former 9 hole golf course. It is now a swamp overgrown with cat tails and its charming Lake Muskoday bridge has become a decaying graffiti gallery.

^Above, the Detroit Yacht Club from the Golf Course Bridge.

Across from the golf course's long abandoned equipment building, this lovely concession stand continues its years of abandonment. Will it fall to the wrecking ball like the recently demolished Newsboy Picnic Shelter? And I won't even begin on the Grand Prix since that ecological disaster deal was cut before the state's control.

In addition to the golf course, its bridge, and refreshment stand the neglect list, help me if I missed any, includes the zoo, and handball/racquetball courts. You've had enough time. This is your most popular park. Fix them up Michigan.

But, to end on a positive note, this may be the best year ever for lilacs on the island.

**Henry Whalley** · May-15-21, 01:36 PM

Agreed 1000%, but I do like graffiti on the bridge. Speaking of which -- and this may exist already unbeknown to me -- the area ought to have an art prize for graffiti. Award the winner with money and a structure to paint.

The tradition goes all the way back to ancient Egypt and arguably even to cave paintings.

**Satiricalivory** · May-15-21, 02:14 PM

I want the grand prix off the island now. Enough is enough.

**Henry Whalley** · May-15-21, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

I want the grand prix off the island now. Enough is enough.

Ditto.

**Hamtragedy** · May-15-21, 02:34 PM

"B.b.b.b.but it's so much nicer than it used to be." "Bullshit. It was never that bad. You were just to terrified to come down here because of all the so-called riff-raff, and we all knew what that meant."

In reality, I think they're spending an awful lot of resources on "fresh-watering" the island, but it's been at the expense of a lot of other projects. The years long flooding and road closure on the eastern end of the island, as a result of the fresh-water project seemed to be an engineering snafu-"let's let all this fresh water in but install the drain last" Absurd.

The back fishing pier has been partially blocked off for over a year now.

There is an outbuilding behind the maintenance yard where the slate roof has been collapsing for at least three years...you can see that from the playground. Oh, the playground has seen very little maintenance in the last five years, although they did patch the large hole at the bottom of one of the "roller-slides" [[the one that works...the other one has needed lubrication for at least five years). And the rocking boat needs lube too. Basic shit here.

Oh, the giant slide rebuilt 15 years ago still not being used.

Oh, the water slides which divide the beach into two hasn't been used in almost a decade. But let's tear down a 130 year old building without letting anyone know it's in jeopardy. "But the beach is so much nicer." "Bullshit, you never swam in it till 2015, someone told you there was poop in it, even if it was goosepoop." And at least Parks and Rec staffed it with young lifeguards. The state took the stands out.

"But the trash gets picked up now." "Look here, it gets picked up every Monday, just like it used to." [[Shame on that church group for not bringing any garbage bags). -This is a pet peeve of mine.

So, is it any better than it was? Maybe, but the simple stuff still seems to be neglected. They are installing walking paths west of the beach. And I did see the eagle perched above Lake Muskoday in the fall. And kayaking is a thing now, but only back by the yacht club. The Saarinen pavillion seems to be devoid of paddleboats and the canoes seem to never be used.

Now that the state runs it, it seems visually the same, even if the perception exists that the island has been "cleaned-up." There are still out-houses next to the restrooms. The fountain is on partially [[where are the colorful lights?).

And is it me? Boy, people used to be a lot friendlier on the island. I guess white folks don't offer up a greeting first.

**313WX** · May-15-21, 02:52 PM

This is a funny thread.

When some of us expressed skepticism about the city giving up control of the park 10 years ago [[yes, it's been that long), we got a stern sanctimonious talking to by apologists on this forum for the state and the Snyder administration.

It seems we were right to be skeptical after all.

**EastsideAl** · May-15-21, 02:57 PM

Frankly, I think there's a lot of 'separate but un-equal' treatment from the Michigan DNR going on at Belle Isle. The recent pre-emptive destruction of the Newsboy shelter, while historic structures at other state parks are preserved and get expensive makeovers, is a case in point. As Lowell points out, despite a lot of words a few years back about rethinking the island's layout and use, the abandoned zoo and golf course areas remain a huge empty closed-up and decaying hole in the center of the park. And don't even get me started on the botched water flow project that has left a large portion of the island apparently permanently flooded and killed off most of the trees in the woods.

It's an increasingly disturbing situation, and one that hasn't been helped by the apparent buying off of the Conservancy by Penske and his 'let's pave over half the island so some rich folks can drive around in circles really fast for one weekend a year' crowd. The DNR, the Conservancy, Penske, and everyone else involved with Belle Isle's supposed renaissance, are all earning deeply failing marks in meeting the promises they made.

Belle Isle is being treated like the ghetto of state parks, despite it being the most visited park in the state. It is a completely unacceptable, but sadly predictable, situation.

**Henry Whalley** · May-15-21, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

...let's pave over half the island... sadly predictable, situation.

Agreed, but I'm not going to begin singing laudatae for the city, given the historic maladministration of it's treasures, including the Warehouse District, Greektown, and the DIA's once-elegant Kresge Court -- which now looks like the food court in an upscale shopping mall.

**NSortzi** · May-15-21, 03:48 PM

Hamtragedy, FWIW the water slide at the beach was demolished 2-3 years ago. They had planned to reconnect both sides of the beach and add a splash pad there but it remains a concrete pad minus the slide.

**Hamtragedy** · May-15-21, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by NSortzi

Hamtragedy, FWIW the water slide at the beach was demolished 2-3 years ago. They had planned to reconnect both sides of the beach and add a splash pad there but it remains a concrete pad minus the slide.

You're right. Hard to not notice the giant concrete slab and miss lack of slide. Does anyone know if the Chandler park slide is operational?... Yet for the season?

**Ray1936** · May-15-21, 05:35 PM

Gee, who are the people who are making the mess? Folks from Toledo? Chicago? Palm Beach?

I suspect they just might be your fellow Detroiters.

**Hamtragedy** · May-15-21, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Gee, who are the people who are making the mess? Folks from Toledo? Chicago? Palm Beach?

I suspect they just might be your fellow Detroiters.

There isn't much doubt. At least on Belle Isle the overflowing garbage cans have been picked up on Mondays, and for a while at that. [[Other city parks haven't been so fortunate). There are still overflowing garbage cans, and maybe only a handful more since the state take-over. We can argue garbage, litter, etc in the city in the other devolved thread from last week.

As for Chicago, have you ever seen a chain link fence not turned opaque from all the trash on a windy day? Southside, northside? I've bitched about cleaning my Hamtramck yard weekly for 25 years from all the trash blowing in from the corner, or worse the business owners who don't pick up their crap in the front or the alley. But, wow, maybe it's the mass transit and 3 million people..............

**Henry Whalley** · May-15-21, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Does anyone know if the Chandler park slide is operational?

Over a century ago, Chandler Park had many baseball fields. And taking the streetcars there to play amateur ball was a common pastime for men from all over town. I seem to recall reading about it in Burton's history of early Detroit, which is available electronically from gutenberg.org.

**Gistok** · May-15-21, 07:01 PM

Not to put perfume on a pig... but has anyone taken recent photos of the perennial Piet Oudolf Gardens over by the Nancy Brown Carillon lately? That $3 million project [mostly private donations] was planted before and during the pandemic... and I was going to go down there with my family once the Conservatory/Aquarium opened back up post pandemic [which I hope is any day now].

**Henry Whalley** · May-15-21, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Boy, people used to be a lot friendlier on the island.

People used to friendlier everywhere.

**eastland** · May-15-21, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

"B.b.b.b.but it's so much nicer than it used to be." "Bullshit. It was never that bad. You were just to terrified to come down here because of all the so-called riff-raff, and we all knew what that meant."

In reality, I think they're spending an awful lot of resources on "fresh-watering" the island, but it's been at the expense of a lot of other projects. The years long flooding and road closure on the eastern end of the island, as a result of the fresh-water project seemed to be an engineering snafu-"let's let all this fresh water in but install the drain last" Absurd.

The back fishing pier has been partially blocked off for over a year now.

There is an outbuilding behind the maintenance yard where the slate roof has been collapsing for at least three years...you can see that from the playground. Oh, the playground has seen very little maintenance in the last five years, although they did patch the large hole at the bottom of one of the "roller-slides" [[the one that works...the other one has needed lubrication for at least five years). And the rocking boat needs lube too. Basic shit here.

Oh, the giant slide rebuilt 15 years ago still not being used.

Oh, the water slides which divide the beach into two hasn't been used in almost a decade. But let's tear down a 130 year old building without letting anyone know it's in jeopardy. "But the beach is so much nicer." "Bullshit, you never swam in it till 2015, someone told you there was poop in it, even if it was goosepoop." And at least Parks and Rec staffed it with young lifeguards. The state took the stands out.

"But the trash gets picked up now." "Look here, it gets picked up every Monday, just like it used to." [[Shame on that church group for not bringing any garbage bags). -This is a pet peeve of mine.

So, is it any better than it was? Maybe, but the simple stuff still seems to be neglected. They are installing walking paths west of the beach. And I did see the eagle perched above Lake Muskoday in the fall. And kayaking is a thing now, but only back by the yacht club. The Saarinen pavillion seems to be devoid of paddleboats and the canoes seem to never be used.

Now that the state runs it, it seems visually the same, even if the perception exists that the island has been "cleaned-up." There are still out-houses next to the restrooms. The fountain is on partially [[where are the colorful lights?).

And is it me? Boy, people used to be a lot friendlier on the island. I guess white folks don't offer up a greeting first.

I cringe when I hear people say how much the island as improved since the state took it over. I truly haven't seen much of a difference.

**ABetterDetroit** · May-15-21, 09:51 PM

I have to agree that the state has fallen far short of promises at the park.
It seems they picked all the low hanging fruit initially and then backed way off on capital improvements that they have had plenty of time to address.

I will point out a couple of key differences though-
Speeding in the park. Before the takeover it was bad. Now not so much. I would be afraid of what it would be like now if the city was still in charge considering the currant speeding problem in general in Detroit these days.
Open alcohol. Drinking was happening everywhere, all the parking areas, in vehicles, way to common to be family friendly. Enforcement of law has made a difference in the park. It goes without saying that not everyone agrees with the laws that are being enforced on the island and to what degree.

The Grand Prix has well outlived its time on the island and has to leave permanently. It was a experiment that has failed. None of the benefits that were promised to the park for having it have been delivered on outside the race course. End the failure and get the race off the island.

**southen** · May-16-21, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Not to put perfume on a pig... but has anyone taken recent photos of the perennial Piet Oudolf Gardens over by the Nancy Brown Carillon lately? That $3 million project [mostly private donations] was planted before and during the pandemic... and I was going to go down there with my family once the Conservatory/Aquarium opened back up post pandemic [which I hope is any day now].

I am actually working with the team bringing that project to life and running their Instagram account: @oudolfgardendetroit

The garden will be closed until after the Grand Prix leaves the island and that’s when the construction fence will come down. We’re currently putting in sod and grass seed near the Peace Carillon which in the future will hopefully be a wetland garden. Piet Oudolf will be in town in August for the grand opening but you should have full access prior to that.

**SFDS** · May-16-21, 11:28 AM

A few years ago I saw this documentary on Oudolf in the theater: Five Seasons. A good backgrounder for the Belle Isle garden visit.
https://filmstreams.org/films/five-seasons

**JBMcB** · May-16-21, 05:04 PM

There was an article about this in the [[News? Freep?) a few years back. The DNR said they were running behind on the improvements they have wanted to make as there was a huge backlog of basic infrastructure and maintenance that had to be done before they could do any new stuff. Basically, the city of Detroit had spent almost nothing on infrastructure since the mid 90's. Shorelines were washing away. Water mains and sewers were decaying. Areas were flooding and eating away at the roads.

I'm not saying the state is doing a *great* job, but I'd imagine that, at least, several years of work would have to be done before improvements could be seen. These infrastructure jobs can take a long time if, for no other reason, than the environmental impact studies that have to be done before anything can commence.

**Vic01** · May-16-21, 11:16 PM

Thanks, JBMcB for another perspective.

**Burnsie** · May-17-21, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

Agreed, but I'm not going to begin singing laudatae for the city, given the historic maladministration of it's treasures, including the Warehouse District, Greektown, and the DIA's once-elegant Kresge Court -- which now looks like the food court in an upscale shopping mall.

The city ceded control of the DIA to a nonprofit in 2014.

**Henry Whalley** · May-17-21, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Burnsie

The city ceded control of the DIA to a nonprofit in 2014.

Yeah, the desecration of Kresge Court happened decades ago.

**bartocktoo** · May-17-21, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

This is a funny thread.

When some of us expressed skepticism about the city giving up control of the park 10 years ago [[yes, it's been that long), we got a stern sanctimonious talking to by apologists on this forum for the state and the Snyder administration.

It seems we were right to be skeptical after all.

It still looks a ton better than it used to. Anyone who denies that hasn't been there in a while.

**bartocktoo** · May-17-21, 09:38 AM

I don't see what's wrong with the graffiti. There is a tunnel under Hall Rd./M-59 in Utica that has graffiti sort of like was posted. And obviously the Dequindre Cut. I'm at Belle Isle a lot because I live a few miles away. But as far as the graffiti in Utica is concerned, I'm sure it would be used as a narrative. We have a lot of cool places here in Metro Detroit and Windsor.