Belle Isle groups considering merger

[Rocko]

From Crain's Detroit Business:

Belle Isle groups considering merger


Belle Isle nonprofits are exploring collaboration in the hopes of attracting more public and private support for the island park.

The Belle Isle Women's Committee, Friends of Belle Isle, Belle Isle Botanical Society and Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium—which closed in 2005--- are looking at ways to collaborate, including merger, said Sarah Earley, founder and president of the Belle Isle Women's Committee.

"Together we can be stronger than we are individually and get more private and public support," she said.

Since its founding six years ago, the Belle Isle Women's Committee has raised about $2 million through an annual luncheon — which attracted 480 people in May 2010 — at the Belle Isle Casino and two fundraisers at The Henry Ford in Dearborn in conjunction with the Belle Isle Grand Prix in 2007 and 2008.

In the fall of 2009, the group completed its first project on the island's western tip, a two-and-a-half-year effort to tear down a concrete-block comfort station and install sidewalks, a garden, trees, benches, tables and grills.

It's now working on restoring the clay tile roof on the 1800s-vintage horse stables building near the middle of the island, Earley said.

Going forward, the group envisions bicycle rentals on Belle Isle, kayaking and canoeing on its inland canals, a reopened aquarium and horticultural programs for what Earley says is the country's only island park.

The 2.5-mile-long, 985-acre park was designed before the turn of the 20th century by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Founded in 1973, Friends of Belle Isle promotes the preservation of natural beauty, restoration and preservation of historical sites and the adaptive use of existing structures on the island.

The group--which has made headlines more recently for opposing a plan by Detroit City Cellars to build a 10-acre vineyard and winery on the island--has opposed numerous developments that didn't comport with the master plan it supported for the island since its founding.

They included construction of an ice/roller rink and a three-pool swimming complex with viewing stands for up to 3,000 people and parking lot in 1976, the use of the island for the Grand Prix in 1989 and placement of gambling casinos there.

By 2007, Friends of Belle Isle had changed tactics.

Instead of fighting the return of the Grand Prix to Detroit after a six-year hiatus with a Belle Isle race, it chose to work with Roger Penske and the Downtown Detroit Parternship to make sure the island's best interests were considered in race planning and that profits would go directly to improve the island.

Subsequently, Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Inc., a subsidiary of the partnership, made infrastructure improvements totaling $5.5 million on Belle Isle for the race.

Since then, Friends of Belle Isle has worked on numerous efforts, including those to save the Belle Isle Boat Club and the maintenance building next to the island's "White House."

The Belle Isle Botanical Society raises funds to restore and maintain the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, which opened in 1904 and features plants indigenous around the globe as well as an outside Lily Pond Garden and formal perennial gardens.

Those three Belle Isle nonprofits have already worked together with the Detroit Recreation and General Services Departments to remove an invasive plant endangering native plants and the old growth forest on the island.

Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium formed in 2005 to prevent the city from closing the aquarium.

It remains active despite the building's closure in 2005—101 years after it first opened.

The group hopes to renovate, reopen and operate the historic aquarium.

[Gistok]

If implemented, this would be good news indeed! Belle Isle is and has always been a treasure for all metro Detroiters...

Most people don't realize that only the central 2/3 [[circa 620 acres) of the island are Frederick Law Olmstead's handiwork. The eastern [[Blue Heron Lagoon) and western [[Scott Fountain and tidal basin) were built up via dredging of the Detroit River in the early 20th century.

Central Ave. and Inselruhe [[German for "Island Tranquility") are the main axis streets of Olmsted's work.

[slick]

There are two meetings scheduled at the Flynn Skating Pavillion on Sat April 16 at 1 PM and Tuesday April 19, 6 PM.

I received the invitation as a member of the Friends of Belle Isle.

Not sure if they are open to the public or just members of the 4 organizations.

[old guy]

I've always wondered why, despite Detroit's monetary crisis, Belle Isle isn't used more as a rallying point to attract people to visit the city. It's hard for me to believe there aren't groups or organizations around the country that would help out an aquarium with so much historical importance. The island seems like a gem that needs to be polished.
I have to assume that no students attending school during the last decade in Detroit have ever visited an aquarium. That's sad.

[Danny]

Good ideal. I want the Belle Isle Aquarium and Arboretum open.

[EL Jimbo]

I've always wondered why, despite Detroit's monetary crisis, Belle Isle isn't used more as a rallying point to attract people to visit the city. It's hard for me to believe there aren't groups or organizations around the country that would help out an aquarium with so much historical importance. The island seems like a gem that needs to be polished.
I have to assume that no students attending school during the last decade in Detroit have ever visited an aquarium. That's sad.

As someone who was raised primarily in Canton and South Lyon, it's a LONG and sort of roundabout way to get to Belle Isle from the west side of the Metro area. I think that, more than anything else keeps some suburbanites away.

[Russix]

It's about time we had a Belle Isle Conservancy, her sister park has had one for 31 years! http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/

[DetroitPole]

As someone who was raised primarily in Canton and South Lyon, it's a LONG and sort of roundabout way to get to Belle Isle from the west side of the Metro area. I think that, more than anything else keeps some suburbanites away.

True, but for us Detroiters it is a long and sort of roundabout way to get to ANY of the Metro Parks, yet we still have to pay for them.

Just sayin'.

[eastland]

Unfortunately, the Riverfront Conservancy and Dequindre Cut [[both of which nobody uses) has sucked up all of the parks donations from foundations, corporations, etc.

[EL Jimbo]

True, but for us Detroiters it is a long and sort of roundabout way to get to ANY of the Metro Parks, yet we still have to pay for them.

Just sayin'.

You mistake my point. The poster I was responding to was asking why "Belle Isle isn't used more as a rallying point to attract people to visit the city". I was not speaking about the merits of supporting Belle Isle. I was simply answering the question as to why people from outside the city might not visit Belle Isle as often as some think they should.

[slick]

As a member of the Friends of Belle Isle, I attended the meeting for the forming of the Belle Isle Conservancy.

It will combine the previous 4 friends organizations into one organization.
One of the main point was any specific funding by the organizations will remain as a separate fund.

Hopefully this one large organization will have more clout with the City who remain as owners and main funders of Belle Isle.

The meeting was well attended and many good points were offered.
Good luck for the Conservancy, I will remain a member. I even signed on to work on the Historical Committee

[bailey]

True, but for us Detroiters it is a long and sort of roundabout way to get to ANY of the Metro Parks, yet we still have to pay for them.

Just sayin'.

Well, stop fighting efforts and proposals to make Belle Isle a metro park and problem solved!

I pay a few hundred bucks a year to WCCCD and there was one resident of my city that attended it. Should I not have to pay for it?

[1KielsonDrive]

Hurrah for Belle Isle, the Isle of my eye!

[j to the jeremy]

Unfortunately, the Riverfront Conservancy and Dequindre Cut [[both of which nobody uses) has sucked up all of the parks donations from foundations, corporations, etc.

Every time I've been on the riverfront on a nice day, it's pretty damn full.

The cut is part of a larger plan that will link up to Hamtramck, and even in its current state I know it gets a lot of use.

[jt1]

Well, stop fighting efforts and proposals to make Belle Isle a metro park and problem solved!

I pay a few hundred bucks a year to WCCCD and there was one resident of my city that attended it. Should I not have to pay for it?

It appears that someone is ignoring reality. The most recent time the city approached HCMA about becoming a metropark HCMA told them to go to hell. Since then they have also reduced funding for 'programming' at the State Fairgrounds [[since closed by the state) and Belle Isle.Years ago the impediment was the city but in recent history the stopper has been HCMA which has stated unequivocally that they are not interested in Belle Isle, they are only interested in money from the residents of the city.

[jt1]

I pay a few hundred bucks a year to WCCCD and there was one resident of my city that attended it. Should I not have to pay for it?

Link please.

[Planner3357]

If they would just charge 25 cents to $1.00 charge to cross to the bridge at least then some $ could go directly to the park maint. That's not asking too much. I'm sure someone will cry about this idea....

[jt1]

Here is a link for Bailey. This has been pretty much the canned response from HCMA. A quick summary is:

1. Belle Isle would cost hundreds of millions to get to the standard of a Metro Park [[Give me a f'in break)
2. HCMA has gone above and beyond for Detroit by creating metro parks on the fringe of wayne county
3. HCMA supplied resources for programming [[which since this letter have been cut drastically)
4. Detroit, keep giving us for money but otherwise leave us alone.

http://belleisleaquarium.com/discus/messages/1/32.html

[bailey]

Link please.

It was from the campaign literature at the time the milage renewal was being snuck into the off cycle election [[after losing in 07). The Grosse Pointes collectively sent a handful of students there, and there was a somewhat sarcastic totaling of the lavish destinations the grosse pointes could have sent those same residents for the amount of funding provided by GP property tax per resident attending WCCCD. I am not seeing one online. However, I'd love for you to provide a link showing the GPs send more than a handful of kids to WCCCD...[[it would at least shut my neighbor up).

There was also an attempt to opt out of funding WCCCD for the same reason, but I believe that was shot down by the state legislature. IDK, it was before I moved back here.

Point being, we all pay for things we choose not to use.

[old guy]

Not to sound like a meathead, but what is WCCCD?

[j to the jeremy]

Wayne County Community College District aka WC3

[old guy]

Wayne County Community College District aka WC3

Thanks, that's probably what I thought, sort of.

[MSUguy]

Representatives of the Friends of Belle Isle, the Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium and the Belle Isle Botanical Society told members of a Detroit City Council committee Thursday that they are working toward a merger to be called the Belle Isle Conservancy.

A representative of the Belle Isle Women's Committee was unable to attend the meeting.

"The goal of the conservancy is to continue doing what we've been doing with one voice," said Ethan Vinson, vice president of the Friends of Belle Isle.

http://www.freep.com/article/2011100...le-Conservancy

[ferntruth]

It appears that someone is ignoring reality. The most recent time the city approached HCMA about becoming a metropark HCMA told them to go to hell. Since then they have also reduced funding for 'programming' at the State Fairgrounds [[since closed by the state) and Belle Isle.Years ago the impediment was the city but in recent history the stopper has been HCMA which has stated unequivocally that they are not interested in Belle Isle, they are only interested in money from the residents of the city.

I would think that those who live in the city would be used to paying money and getting nothing in return?

[DetroitPole]

"Council members focused their comments primarily on their desire to see the aquarium reopen, but Councilwoman JoAnn Watson said she wants "to make sure this is not backing us into an authority" that the council does not control."

Of course that would be MOTHER Watson's concern, not the Aquarium. What has her obnoxious ass ever done for Belle Isle that she is so deserving of control? Although I bet she's never met a barbeque she didn't like. Her own control, power, and influence come first with her ilk, not the citizens. Glad to see the rest have at least some interest in our well-being.