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Belle Isle Park strategic improvement plan

Paddling at Belle Isle Park

Belle Isle Park strategic improvement plan

Overview

Starting in late 2024, the DNR and the Belle Isle Conservancy launched a strategic improvement plan process for Belle Isle Park. This comprehensive, island-wide initiative is reviewing all needed work in a holistic manner, actively involving the community to shape future park investments.

The multi-step planning process includes:

  • Assessing many of the park’s buildings and spaces and considering what has already been heard from the public about improving them.
  • Identifying strategies and focus areas as well as potential improvement projects.
  • Collaborating with the community to ensure a shared vision for the future that creates a welcoming space for all.
  • Determining priorities based on public preferences, costs and allocation of possible future funding.
  • Celebrating the completion of the plan with the public in 2026.
  • Securing funding and partners to move the priorities forward.

Help shape future plans for Belle Isle!

Take this survey and share your priorities for improving the park.

Take survey »

Community engagement

The Belle Isle planning process prioritizes the community's deep connection to the park and its vision for the future. We began initial community conversations in fall 2024, and our team is now conducting extensive outreach throughout summer 2025. All feedback is welcome, important, and appreciated!

We're connecting with people across the city and beyond to learn:

  • How the community ranks the eleven potential projects from most to least important.
  • What other ideas, projects, and priorities community members have for improving the park.

Potential projects on the island

Over the past several months, the project team identified 11 potential large-scale projects for Belle Isle. We did this by evaluating park buildings and spaces, reviewing past public comments, and consulting with staff and leadership.

These 11 projects, listed below, are significant undertakings that will likely require a strategic funding approach, including philanthropic partnerships. Important items like opening restrooms, slowing vehicle traffic, keeping the bridge open, trash pickup, etc. are not listed as these are already top priorities and work is underway to address them.

Want to weigh in on these options? Take the online survey.

Extend the beach and renovate the bath house. Image of a beach and sand.

Beach

Extend the beach and renovate the bath house.

Restore and reactivate Belle Isle Boathouse. Image of white boathouse building from a bird's-eye view.

Boathouse

Restore and reactivate Belle Isle Boathouse.

Create a park cafe at the Belle Isle White House. Image of white house with porch.

Park cafe

Create a park cafe at the Belle Isle White House.

Improve access to canals and create trails. Image of land and water from a bird's-eye view.

Canals and trails

Improve access to canals and create trails.

Renovate the Nancy Brown Carillon Peace Tower. Image of tower in park.

Carillon Peace Tower

Renovate the Nancy Brown Carillon Peace Tower.

Create a bigger, better Kid’s Row. Image of playground.

Kid's row

Create a bigger, better Kid’s Row.

Restore and activate the Remick Music Band Shell. Image of band shell.

Music band shell

Restore and activate the Remick Music Band Shell.

Rebuild piers and docks for fishing and ferry. Image of canal with water in background.

Piers and docs

Rebuild piers and docks for fishing and ferry.

Create interpretive center at the historic sawmill. Image of brick building with workshop with a dormer window.

Sawmill

Create interpretive center at the historic sawmill.

Clean up and activate former stable yard. Image of brick building with red roof.

Stable yard

Clean up and activate former stable yard.

Create community and volunteer space at the historic police headquarters. Image of brick building with steepled roof.

Community and volunteer space

Create community and volunteer space at the historic police headquarters.

Significant improvements already complete or in progress:

  • The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory has reopened after $10 million in renovations, including a new glass dome.
  • The Flynn Pavillion restrooms are now open year-round.
  • The Casino will reopen in fall 2025 after $6 million in renovations 
  • The James Scott Memorial Fountain will undergo $6 million of work in 2025/26.
  • Restrooms/shelter #2 (across from the Flynn Pavillion), restroom/shelter #8 (along Riverbank Road) and the restrooms at the northeast corner of the park (oxbow) will be renovated in 2025. 
  • A new shelter will be added.
  • A proposal for renovating the Belle Isle Boathouse is under review. 
  • The Belle Isle Multimodal Study was completed in 2024 and focuses on improvements to roads, sidewalks and trails . 
 

Next steps

In fall 2025, the project team will draft a set of recommendations based on their research and assessments and the community’s expressed priorities. After internal and public review of the draft document, the project team will complete final recommendations to share with the community in early 2026.

Contact

Contact Amanda Treadwell, urban area field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division at TreadwellA@Michigan.com or 313-269-7430.