Belle Isle's luster fades
Residents worry park could lose more than aquarium, but improvements slated.
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Despite a last-minute push, Detroit is still planning to close the 101-year-old Belle Isle Aquarium because of budget cuts.; Lyon; Gist
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DETROIT -- Mention Belle Isle to Dawn Lyon and she thinks of ice skating in winters, picnics in summers and spending hours in the aquarium and zoo as a youth.
So when the 40-year-old Algonac mom drove her daughters and nieces to the 983-acre island park Thursday, she couldn't help but feel disappointment that the zoo had closed and that the aquarium was about to close.
"It's kind of bittersweet watching something that was so vibrant at one time and to see that it's not that way anymore," she said.
Because of the shuttering of the 101-year-old Belle Isle Aquarium on Sunday, some fans are worried that the city's financial problems could doom other beloved features of the park laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park in New York City.
Lyon Gist Through a combination of age and neglect, a number of buildings on the island have fallen into disrepair. Among others, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory next to the aquarium is in need of a new dome, cracks are forming around the casino's entrance, and the Boat Club, famed for its architecture and role in the city's history, is still boarded up.
The city is working on a Belle Isle investment plan, but curing all of the island's ills poses a daunting challenge for a city facing more than $200 million in deficits.
"You can only do so much with the money they have," said Janice Ellison, president of the Belle Isle Botanical Society, a nonprofit group that supports the conservatory.
"And recreation is going to be at the bottom of the food chain."
Parks Department Director Charles Beckham said, despite fiscal problems, the city remains committed to improving Belle Isle, which remains immensely popular with city residents and continues to receive an estimated 8 million visitors every year.
Some efforts are directed at cherished activities and attractions that have been lost through the years, starting with the April 28 reopening of the Nancy Brown Carillon Tower.
This spring and summer, the city will begin repairing the vestibule at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the terrace and porch of the casino will be inlayed with brick, and a concession stand will accompany Kids' Row, a play area.
While it's no longer feasible to bring back horse riding, Beckham said the city on Memorial Day will celebrate the return of the giant slide, which will cost 50 cents per ride, up from 25 cents. The department will ship in new sand for the beach, reopen the water slide and begin upgrading ballfields.
And with Super Bowl XL coming in 2006, Beckham says the department is looking into adding winter sports such as ice skating and cross country skiing.
"When I hear people who lament about what Belle Isle once was, those are the people who haven't been to Belle Isle recently," Beckham said. "We're just very excited about the things happening on Belle Isle. It's bigger and better."
Roads have been repaved, street lights repaired and bathrooms added.
But longtime boosters such as Thomas A. Wilson Jr., who sits on the board of Friends of Belle Isle, a nonprofit group, remains worried that budget cuts will eliminate senior activities at the casino. Beckham has pledged to maintain the program.
"Here we go from the zoo being closed to the aquarium being closed, and we don't know what's in store next," Wilson said.
Jon Paddock, 24, of Dearborn visited the conservatory with his nephew and gave the park a good review. "All things considered, it looks pretty decent," he said.
Detroiter Richard Gist, 50, walks the island several times a week and said the grass is cut but the canals remain littered, making the water unsightly. "City government could do better," he said.
You can reach Judy Lin at (313) 222-2072 or jlin@detnews.com.
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