The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Belle Isle Conservancy are asking for input on 11 potential investments to enhance enjoyment of the island park.
Visitors, community members and stakeholders are encouraged to learn about and rank the large-scale projects. Links to the project page and online public survey are available at Michigan.gov/BelleIsle. The survey is open through Labor Day weekend.
“We’re looking forward to hearing from people all across the city of Detroit and beyond about how we can make this treasured destination better for everyone,” Tom Bissett, urban district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, said in a Friday news release.
DNR officials say public feedback will be a key component of a new strategic development plan for the island, which builds upon the 2018 Belle Isle Park Strategic Management Plan.
The potential projects up for review include:
- Extending the beach and renovating the bath house.
- Restoring and reactivating the Belle Isle Boathouse for public use.
- Creating a park cafe at the Belle Isle White House.
- Improving access to canals and creating trails.
- Renovating the Nancy Brown Carillon Peace Tower.
- A bigger and better Kids Row Playground.
- Restoring and activating the Remick Music Band Shell.
- Rebuilding piers and docks for fishing and potential ferry service.
- Creating an interpretive center at the historic sawmill.
- Cleaning up the former stable yard for reuse.
- Carving out community and volunteer space at the historic police headquarters.
The summerlong outreach effort also includes an on-the-ground team of staff and volunteers who will gather feedback at the park and various community events throughout Detroit.
“This fall, the project team will draft a set of recommendations to improve park resources for the next 10 years based on their research and public input,” Amanda Treadwell, urban area field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, said in a statement.
The final recommendations will be shared with the community in early 2026.
The development plan team created the project list by evaluating park buildings and spaces, reviewing public comments during the recent multimodal study and consulting with staff. Since each project would be a significant undertaking, moving forward on any of them likely would require a strategic funding approach, including philanthropic partnerships, the DNR noted.
Ongoing efforts, such as opening restrooms, slowing vehicle traffic, keeping the bridge open and improving trash pickup, are not included on the list since they are efforts already underway.
For more information, contact Treadwell at TreadwellA@Michigan.gov or 313-269-7430.