Detroit's historic Belle Isle Park, a favorite haunt for locals and tourists alike, reported a 7% increase in foot traffic last year, crunching the numbers to nearly 5.6 million visitors, as per The Detroit News. This bump came as a bit of a shocker, especially considering the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory had been under the wraps of renovation since November 2022. "We hosted over 181 special events like the Koi festival, many weddings, Metro Detroit Youth Day, which we're hosting the 40th anniversary of this year, several music concerts, Belle Isle Art Fair and the DPD car show," urban district supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Tom Bissett, revealed to the council.
The state DNR didn't just sit on their laurels; they've upped the ante with a slew of upgrades, including nifty bike lane improvements, sidewalk facelifts, and a shiny new link-up to the Detroit Riverwalk. But perhaps the spiffiest news to hit the streets is the imminent return of the Belle Isle Giant Slide – back in business this summer after some serious retooling to prevent a repeat of the viral mishaps that left riders catching more air than a skateboard at the X-Games, according to WWJ Newsradio. "Improvements will include a better landing surface than the rubber matting in place now, while the Michigan DNR, which operates the park and the slide, have improved the side curtain area," the Newsradio report noted.
Not one to rest on its new-found social media fame, the DNR, has invested a hefty sum upward of $140.5 million in the park since 2014, focusing on infrastructural prowess and historical reverence. A mobility study aimed at facilitating smoother park circulation is due in July, and let's not forget the $23 million from Uncle Sam's pandemic relief funding earmarked for various uses—from propping up the Scott Fountain to essential parkwide hazard abatement, as The Detroit News adds to the platter of park updates.
Meanwhile, the Freep, otherwise known as Detroit Free Press, chipped in with their two cents on the slide that's been sending locals down memory lane since the '60s. "We are only charging $1 per ride — the idea is not to make money but to defray at least a little bit of the cost," said Bissett, a move that sounds more community spirit than a cash grab. The nearly $20,000 investment into a newer, probably cushier landing pad is still on hold, awaiting the necessary materials for completion.
And it's not just daytime sparkle that's on Belle Isle's recipe for revival. Addressing councilmember concerns about the park morphing into the Blackout Isles at night, Bissett conceded that a good 80% of the solar streetlights are out of commission. With a new president and CEO at the Belle Isle Conservancy's helm come July, the light at the end of the tunnel for nighttime visibility, and a slew of park improvements, seems a smidge brighter for Detroit's verdant getaway.
