Council declines $40,000 Federal grant for Aquarium roof

**esteban** · November-27-09, 12:58 PM

Members of the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium are astounded today to find that the Detroit City Council DECLINED a $40,000 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office [[SHPO) which receives federal Historic Preservation Fund monies are offered to operate the state's historic preservation programs. Each year 10 percent of the SHPO's federal grant is awarded to Certified Local Governments [[CLGs).

This year the Belle Isle Aquarium succeeded in receiving such a grant, but the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium were astounded to find that the Detroit Council has actually declined accepting it.
There seems to be a serious disconnect between a citizenry wishing to preserve their historical buildings and the officials elected to perform the business of the people.

Belle Isle Aquarium [[Sister-building to Belle Isle Conservatory) was closed through an agreement between Detroit Zoo director Mr. Kagan and former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in 2005. In shutting down the Aquarium, Mr. Kagan was able to cut the financial strings to Detroit and receive more lucrative funds from Oakland County.
As a sop, the former mayor was given the impression that a super-aquarium was to be constructed downtown Detroit, which we now know amounted to nothing more than wishful thinking.

Super-aquariums became a must-have in the previous decades, and since the '80, these have proliferated throughout the country, increasing the amount of these institutions from the teens to the upper twenties. Few of these are able to sustain themselves without massive support from other sources, and my own personal objection to them is that kids get tired halfway through their massive exhibit.
The Belle Isle Aquarium, designed by Albert Kahn, is the OLDEST aquarium in the Americas and the ONLY public aquarium in Michigan. The aquarium is an ideal size for school children, being neither too big nor too small.
In comparison, costs for running the Belle Isle Aquarium are laughably small. To put it into perspective, direct losses through lawsuits incurred by the ousted mayor and which were paid for by the City, would have kept the aquarium open for eighteen years!

It's a pity the city can't pull this together.

**jt1** · November-27-09, 02:52 PM

I assume there is more to it than the city just saying, "No thanks, we don't want free money"

Can you clarify any stipulations, conditions, etc that come with it?

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-27-09, 03:32 PM

That makes ZERO sense. Was there a catch on the cash? When did the council vote to reject it? This is the first I've heard about this.

**Cooper** · November-27-09, 04:53 PM

The guidelines state that "All grants must be matched with local funds or donations and are available on a reimbursement basis only." But it still seems outrageous that the city would turn the money down [[couldn't matching funds have been raised from a foundation or through donations to the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium?). It's also outrageous that this story was never covered in the news. I, for one, would like to learn the whole story.

http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607...7497--,00.html

**Jimaz** · November-27-09, 05:28 PM

It wouldn't seem difficult to match only $40,000. Maybe $40,000 [[or $80,000?!) isn't enough to complete the job?

I searched for more news on this but found nothing.

**esteban** · November-27-09, 08:17 PM

I believe the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium have most of the matching funds and a business plan.

**esteban** · November-27-09, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

I searched for more news on this but found nothing.

I believe this is breaking news. It was released to me from the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium board members. They just found out, and are completely taken aback. You can contact board members here:
http://belleisleaquarium.com/fobia_contacts.htm

MichMatters · November-27-09, 08:55 PM

I, too, would like to hear more info before I make a final judgement. There really does have to be more to this.

BTW, I'm reading the quote that Cooper posted, and if I'm reading it right, to receive the grant, you must have the full amont of money you need, and only then will they reimburse you half of that? Am I reading that right? So, Detroit [[city, foundations, whatever) would have to come up with both the $40,000 matching and the $40,000 for the grant that will later be reimbursed?

**esteban** · November-27-09, 10:13 PM

MichMatters, I believe the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium have matching funds, otherwise it would seem pointless to have applied?

**kathy2trips** · November-28-09, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by esteban

I believe this is breaking news. It was released to me from the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium board members. They just found out, and are completely taken aback. You can contact board members here:
http://belleisleaquarium.com/fobia_contacts.htm

Can they sue to receive the money? Let me know when their legal fund is set up.

**Detroitej72** · November-28-09, 01:37 AM

As a youth of Detroit Public Schools, every spring we would take a field trip to Belle Isle which included taking in the sights at "the flower house" and the aquarium. It was a highlight of all us city kids school year, complete with a trip to the giant slide and play scape.

We would have lunch at the old Loiter Way concessions stand. It always consisted of hot dogs, fries, lemonade and horrible pizza.[[which we referred to as shit on a shingle, outside of the ears of adults)

Any clown council that would veto funds to reopen the aquarium should be publicly flogged and beaten, as its obvious they hate children!!!

Blarf · November-28-09, 02:25 AM

Can't they snag 40,000 from Kwame's restitution payments? Might take a few decades, but it's a start.

**pkbroch** · November-28-09, 11:34 AM

This grant was announced in June 2009. Does anyone know when and if it was voted on and who voted and how they voted. ??

**Patrick** · November-28-09, 12:30 PM

Maybe they want to take it down?

**esteban** · November-29-09, 11:37 PM

Hopefully there will be more information about this debacle in the coming week...

**detroitsgwenivere** · November-30-09, 01:14 AM

Now I'm really worried about what this council's intentions are regarding Belle Island. There have been numerous stories in the papers over the years about developers approaching the city wanting to build luxury condos that island, and receiving a willing ear from the DEGC. I know it's premature without more info, but this grant refusal thing stinks, and there's no telling how far Bing and co. will go to bring in revenue to help slow the financial hemorrage. God, I hope that's not what time it is.....

MichMatters · November-30-09, 01:43 AM

Gwenivere, please don't forget that there is a new incoming council. So imminent, in fact, that we're talking about a few weeks [[January). Not just that, the council is in recess until then. So, short of a special session [[which is about as likely as snow in hell seeing as how they often can't get quorum at a regular session), there is very little harm this current council make-up can do. If the developers are still trying to develop on Belle Isle [[I haven't heard about that, in years), they'll have to try to buy off the new council.

**detroitsgwenivere** · November-30-09, 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by MichMatters

Gwenivere, please don't forget that there is a new incoming council. So imminent, in fact, that we're talking about a few weeks [[January). Not just that, the council is in recess until then. So, short of a special recess [[which is about as likely as snow in hell seeing as how they often can't get quorum at a regular session), there is very little harm this current council make-up can do. If the developers are still trying to develop on Belle Isle [[I haven't heard about that, in years), they'll have to try to buy off the new council.

Im aware of this. I'm just worried, because there has been talk of developing for so long, and so many have been fighting to reopen the aquarium, it would be a shame to lose such a gem. And I won't trust the new council until I see them in action for awhile. There's no telling where things will head and it's hard to take the glass half full approach when that usually leads to disappointment. But thanks for the reassurance.....

**NDmom** · December-01-09, 01:28 PM

gwenivere - remember about 1-2 years ago a story came out about Kilpatrick's wanting to buy the old Detroit Boat Club, [[by the entrance to the island) for a "school" with dorms? And then I think they wanted to or did buy some land next to it so they could expand.

**ghettopalmetto** · December-01-09, 01:47 PM

Where's PQZ to remind us how preservation-minded the City of Detroit is?

**rjlj** · December-01-09, 02:45 PM

^^^^ Funny

**detrola** · December-01-09, 04:19 PM

Viewing a federal grant as "free money" is one of the big problems with our society. Where do you think money from a federal grant comes from? Wake up sheeple!

**ghettopalmetto** · December-01-09, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by detrola

Viewing a federal grant as "free money" is one of the big problems with our society. Where do you think money from a federal grant comes from? Wake up sheeple!

And if your local government got no federal money, you'd wonder where all your tax dollars went....

Bearinabox · December-01-09, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by detrola

Wake up sheeple!

I always love it when people use this phrase, because then I'm saved the trouble of taking them seriously.

**esteban** · December-01-09, 06:15 PM

A Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium board member informs me, "...Joann Watson's office said it was the Mayor's doing. She has a call into the Mayor's office and is trying to get to the bottom of it for us. It seems very weird...."

That's all I have for now.