Building off of the recent Belle Isle Multimodal Mobility Study, park goers have told officials at the Belle Isle Conservancy they want to “get out of their cars and experience the park in new ways.”
Belle Isle Conservancy officials have partnered with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to develop conceptual plans for how to achieve this, and they want visitors to give their feedback.
Toward that end, they’ve scheduled a night of music, good food and drink, and opportunities to weigh in on the future of the Commons. Attendees can be the first to engage with conceptual designs for the Belle Isle Commons as string-lit walkways, painted pavement, and pop-up stations transform the Aquarium and Conservatory lot into an interactive preview Sept. 15 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Guests will:
• Participate in interactive design engagement stations
• Taste Detroit with pop-up food and bar stations
• Enjoy delicious drinks in the reimagined beer garden
• Dance under the stars with live energy featuring DJ Amy K
Those who can’t make it but want to weigh in have a chance to help shape future investments at Belle Isle Park by taking the survey put together by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Belle Isle Conservancy, who are asking for input on 11 potential investments designed to significantly enhance enjoyment of Belle Isle Park.
Visitors, community members, stakeholders and others interested in this beloved park are encouraged to learn more and rank 11 potential large-scale projects. Links to both the project page and online public survey are available at Michigan.gov/BelleIsle.
This public feedback is a key component of the development of a new Belle Isle strategic development plan, which builds upon the 2018 Belle Isle Park Strategic Management Plan.
The 11 potential projects up for review include:
- Beach. Extend the beach and renovate the bath house.
- Boathouse. Restore and reactivate the Belle Isle Boathouse for public use.
- Park cafe. Create a park cafe at the Belle Isle White House.
- Canals and trails. Improve access to canals and create trails.
- Carillon Peace Tower. Renovate the Nancy Brown Carillon Peace Tower.
- Kids Row. Create a bigger, better Kids Row Playground.
- Music band shell. Restore and activate the Remick Music Band Shell.
- Piers and docks. Rebuild piers and docks for fishing and potential ferry service.
- Sawmill. Create interpretive center at the historic sawmill.
- Stable yard. Clean up and activate former stable yard.
- Community and volunteer space. Create community and volunteer space at the historic police headquarters.
This summerlong community outreach effort also includes an on-the-ground team of staff and volunteers who will gather feedback at the park and at various community events throughout Detroit.
The strategic development plan team created this list of projects by evaluating park buildings and spaces, reviewing public comments during the recent multimodal study and consulting with staff. Since these are significant undertakings, moving forward on any of them likely would require a strategic funding approach, including philanthropic partnerships.
Critical ongoing efforts, such as opening restrooms, slowing vehicle traffic, keeping the bridge open and improving trash pickup are not listed as potential projects because work is already underway to address them.
“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,” said Amanda Treadwell, urban area field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
The final recommendations will be shared with the community in early 2026.
“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,” said Tom Bissett, urban district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
For more information, contact Amanda Treadwell at [email protected] or 313-269-7430.
