DNR and Belle Isle Conservancy lay out $29M in ARPA projects, aquarium HVAC and James Scott Fountain repairs

State and partner officials briefed the Detroit City Council on a year of infrastructure and program work at Belle Isle, describing how federal ARPA funds and other investments are being used for repairs, ecological restoration and neighborhood outreach.

Tom (Michigan DNR parks official), Amanda Treadwell (DNR urban area field planner) and Megan Elliott (Belle Isle Conservancy president) outlined large capital projects, staffing updates and community programs. Treadwell said the park has benefited from “over over 174,000,000 … invested in Belle Isle Park” since 2014 and that $29,393,000 in capital funds were spent on Belle Isle projects in 2024 alone.

Key projects funded by ARPA include a roughly $10 million project to install heating, cooling and improved ventilation in the Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory, drainage and site work around the aquarium, and a structural replacement of the James Scott Memorial Fountain basin after investigations found concrete joists and decking were failing. Treadwell said the aquarium HVAC and fountain repairs are scheduled under ARPA timelines, with completion of ARPA-funded projects by December 2026; park staff later said the fountain will remain closed through the work and they expect the fountain to be out of service into 2027.

Treadwell and Megan Elliott said the conservatory dome restoration is complete, the casino roof replacement is nearing completion and a number of roadway and bike-lane improvements were completed in partnership with MDOT, including a resurfacing and addition of a two-way cycle track. The DNR described a multimodal mobility study that produced short- and long-term recommendations, and Treadwell said some recommendations will be phased with MDOT work.

The speakers also reviewed community programming: internships, a Motorsport Correspondent Program with Boys & Girls Clubs, a mobility-innovation youth race team, and small-business support programs. Elliott said the aquarium saw more than 202,000 visitors in 2024 and that reopening the conservatory in December drew nearly 20,000 visitors in its first month.

On redevelopment, officials said the state has selected a developer to reimagine the Belle Isle Boathouse; legal and lease issues are under review because the DNR must coordinate lease length and terms with the city for a developer’s business model. They also said the former zoo area will undergo structure removals and repurposing rather than restoration as an animal facility, following public engagement and feasibility studies.

Public-safety and operations officials from DNR’s law division presented park visitor-contact and enforcement statistics and emphasized speed enforcement and community policing. Officials described a new youth employment apprenticeship (LEAF) that placed several summer employees into permanent positions and reported the park had roughly 5.3 million visitors in 2024.

Council members asked about Boathouse timing, whether the James Scott Fountain marble would be reused and how long the fountain would remain off-line; DNR staff said marble is often too deteriorated to reuse and the lower basin must be replaced because of structural concerns. Legal staff said the park property is owned by the City of Detroit and is managed in partnership with the state; boathouse lease negotiations with the developer are in active legal review.

DNR officials invited council and residents to engage in a multiyear Belle Isle strategic plan and summer neighborhood outreach to gather public priorities for the island.