Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed this week that there is no plan to revive the shuttered zoo on Belle Isle Park.
Instead, the state plans to demolish more than 20 old structures and restore the area to its natural habitat. New nature trails and “passive recreation” amenities will be developed in place of the old zoo footprint.
Demolition isn’t expected to start until next year and would take several months to complete.
The work will be partially funded with federal pandemic relief dollars. DNR Urban District Supervisor Tom Bissett said demolition could cost upward of $1 million.
“There’s so many structures back there, everything from places they sold Popsicles to birdhouses to the big treehouse in the center,” Bissett said. “Most are in really bad shape. It’s something to (consider), what things are savable and can be preserved or recorded.
“Restoring the buildings is just not in the cards. The facility has been closed for so long.”
Bissett said there may be hidden treasures on the zoo site, citing rumors of a large Belle Isle Zoo sign buried somewhere in the brush.
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The Belle Isle Zoo opened in 1895 and underwent several changes and upgrades before closing in 2002.
It became the Children’s Zoo after the Detroit Zoo opened in Royal Oak, but remained relevant thanks to new additions like Safariland in 1980.
A majority of Detroit voters (88%) favored keeping the zoo open in a symbolic 2001 ballot question. The City Council threatened to sue then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to keep the zoo open, but his administration cited budget constraints and lagging attendance.
A wide variety of animals were housed on the island park, including kangaroos, snow leopards, bears, exotic birds and even elephants. The first animals were donated by Alexander Abar, a ferry operator who transported visitors across the Detroit River.
Watch this video from the Detroit Historical Society to get a feel for how the park looked in 1990.
The Detroit News put together a fascinating look back at the zoo’s history in 2022 (some articles linked here are behind a paywall).
The enclosed area is closed off to the public today, though urban explorers and graffiti writers have made it an underground destination regardless.
Bissett urged visitors not to trespass on the zoo site: It’s both dangerous and illegal.
“There’s so many ways to get hurt,” Bissett said. “It’s not worth getting back there.”
Bissett recommended Detroiters to visit the Belle Isle Nature Center, which is run by the Detroit Zoological Society. It had 103,427 visitors last year.
The Nature Center was created through a city bond issue approved by voters in 2004.
The DNR partnered with Michigan State University in 2021 to survey residents and study potential site plans. Student designs and resident feedback is informing future development plans on the island.
The survey received 7,113 responses. A majority expressed support for using the site for hiking, wildlife watching and other kinds of outdoor recreation.
Proposals are being considered to remove all structures and perimeter fencing while potentially saving a quarter-mile elevated boardwalk. Bissett said concrete and steel framing is in good shape, but the wood walkway would need to be replaced.
“It’s about 10 to 12 feet in the air, imagine going on a nature trail walking at ground level and then having a bridge that goes over a wetland ecosystem and the elevated boardwalks brings you into the canopy,” Bissett said.
The zoo footprint is located near the center of the island. Much work has been done to create animal habitats and restore native ecosystems within the island’s wetlands, upland forests and inland lakes.
Nature trails run alongside chain link fences marking the zoo’s footprint. Bissett said new trails would ideally connect to the developing trail network.
Bissett said visitors have embraced state parks after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed people to connect with nature.
The surging interest coincided with an injection of federal funding to improve park facilities. Belle Isle received 5.5 million visitors in 2023.
“In the last three years we’ve seen huge boosts to park attendance,” Bissett said. “(Federal pandemic funds) have invested so much in the parks itself, it matched nicely with what people found valuable during the pandemic.”
Overnight camping is unlikely at Belle Isle anytime soon. Bissett said it’s a question the DNR receives a lot, but it would require a significant investment in staffing.
Relocate the bandshell to the zoo location…have it be a cool spot to hear music and such
My parents quite often took us to Belle Isle to hear the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It was always a wonderful evening with many park visitors in attendance. It was always a good idea to bring a blanket, or golfing chairs to sit on as the crowds of music lovers attended on Wednesday evenings.