Belle Isle Island Park Research Paper
Eng.-1520
Proposal Essay 4
Abstract
This essay will provide a brief history of the historical Belle Isle Island Park. It is a beautiful park that has declined over the years due to budget cuts which will continue its decline due to the city being in such a dire situation. Detroit spends an estimated $6 million a year to operate and maintain Belle Isle Park (Helms). The city has filed bankruptcy and could possibly have to sale treasured assets to eliminate its debts. Maintaining ownership of what is the nation’s largest city owned ecological asset, could through implementing the proposed trajectory plan cited in this essay could provide long-term revenue for the city. By …show more content…
revitalizing Belle Isle Island through a four-stage trajectory plan which includes implementing a full stage Adopt-a-Park program, gap loan funding, volunteerism and the establishment of a park entry fee.
Belle Isle: A plan to Restore and Revitalize Detroit
Belle Isle is a large urban 982-acre Island Park that sits in the middle of the Detroit River. The Island Park is now a deteriorating historical landmark that has a rich history which dates back to the early seventeen hundreds. In order to understand the importance of the plan laid- out in this essay a brief history of Belle Isle Island has been included.
The rich history of this island begins with the original owners, the Ottawa and Chippewa Indian tribes, which they called Wah-na-be-zee (White Swan) Island. In 1768 a Lt. George McDougal purchased the island from the Native Americans. In the early 1700s the French were using it as a livestock grazing ground, the low swampy island, inhabited by herds of wild hogs, because of this the island became known as “Hog Island”. Then later in 1793 a William Macomb purchased the Island. In the early eighteen hundreds the island would change ownership two more times. It became a popular picnic spot after Barnabus Campau purchased it in 1817 for $5,000. In 1845, Hog Island becomes Belle Isle (Belle Isle Master Plan). An undetermined amount of Detroit citizens believe in an age old fallacy that Belle Isle Island was donated to Detroit by its previous private owner with the promise that it could not be sold and that it must remain free to use by the citizens, but this is an erroneous belief that has no found true. The true fact is that the Island was purchased by Detroit City on May 27th, 1879 when the Michigan State Legislature approved bonds up to $200,000 to be raised for the buying of the island for the city and the construction of a bridge from the mainland (1800 's Belle Isle History). This magnificent natural resource was in fact privately owned and used as the private residence of several affluent families in the past, but was in fact sold to the city not donated as people believe.
This historical jewel was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, a notable architect who was known as “the father of landscape architecture” in the early 1900’s. Olmstead designed the U.S. Capitol grounds, Central Park, the Buffalo and Boston park systems and the Columbian Exposition fair grounds (Sowder). The park with its connecting bridge was developed as a recreational park which dawns many beautiful features such as historical monuments, a beautiful fountain, 200-acre woodlands, conservatory garden, an aquarium and even the Belle Isle Zoo, pony rides, bike rental of which are dilapidated and long since shut-down. There also is a nature center, giant slide and playground area which were erected thanks to privately donated funds.
The beautiful Island of Belle Isle rich historical status qualified it to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many families would and still do celebrate holidays and family reunions by picnicking on this island. This park is one of America’s largest city owned parks in the nation, making it Detroit’s most valuable asset. Belle Isle Park is in need of a complete restoration plan which would encompass the completion of some serious upgrades and tons of maintenance work. Detroit need not let this gem go to waste. This essay lays out a proposed trajectory plan to revitalize Belle Isle by promoting it for ecotourism. A plan that if accepted by Detroit city officials, will assist in the restoration of this park that in turn will provide much needed revenue to the city. Detroit needs revenue in light of the looming debt ($18 billion) that has caused the city to go into ‘State Receivership’. The state appointed emergency manager, Robert Orr, has filed bankruptcy on behalf of the city and could quite possibly have to sale off treasured city assets, which includes Belle Isle, to help eliminate this debt. The city must fight to retain this city owned jewel by taking advantage of its potential to assist in the revitalization of Detroit. The proposed plan is made up of four diverse parts with its main objective being to utilize the potential of Detroit’s largest asset’s ability to aid in the revitalizing of the city by providing long-term revenue for the city; by initiating an Adopt-a-Park program, applying for gap financing, forming a volunteer manned staff and by implementing an admission fee to enter the park.
This proposal highlights four suggested trajectory solutions for the complete rehabbing of Belle Isles dilapidated recreational areas. Once all seriously needed upgrades and much needed maintenance work is completed, the business of promoting Belle Isle Island as a tourist attraction can began. The first plan of action for rehabbing the largely dilapidated park can be accomplished through the initiating of an Adopt-a- Park program. Solicitation of major corporations, local businesses and organizations to invest money and/or donate their services to assist in bringing the park back to its original state; a fully operational recreational park, where citizens and tourist cannot only partake of eco-friendly and state of the art recreational facilities, but special events as well, such as the Grand Prix, concerts and festivals.
The idea of the Adopt-a-Park program is not a new one in the city of Detroit. Communities, organizations and even private citizens have adopted several smaller parks around the city in the past. Community block clubs have voluntarily cleaned up and privately funded the rehab of several neighborhood parks.
One prime example of this is the Delores Bennett Playground located at Smith and Beaubien, on Detroit’s North End, that has been adopted by a commercial engineering business named Lakeshore Engineering; they have cleaned-up and equipped the park with new playground equipment for the children of that neighborhood. Lakeshore Engineering Services, is a Detroit division of a Chicago based company that provides start-to-finish services in general construction, program management, environmental remediation as well as clean-up and facility management services. In a public relations wire in CORP! Magazine on March 25, 2011, Alicia C. Minter, Detroit’s Recreation Department Director commented that "Lakeshore Engineering Services provides an excellent example of how the private sector can work with the City to help maintain our neighborhood playgrounds, and she goes on to say that, everyone needs a place in their neighborhood for recreation and leisure activities. Recreation is not only beneficial health wise; it also creates a sense of community,"(Mitchell-Rodgers, Para. 4). The park renovations was initiated by a private citizen named Delores Bennett (hence the parks name), whose dedication to community leadership lead to the establishment of the North End Youth Council.
A second example would be how businesses such as Chevrolet who partnered with the Indy racing series and Penske Corp.
in a three-year race deal, after a four-year absence, helped to initiate the return of the Izod Indy Car Series to Detroit on June 1-3, 2012, to race a 2.1-mile circuit on Belle Isle” (Automotive News, 2011). The Penske Corp and Chevrolet funded the building of the race course and some restorations to ready the park for the races. It is apparent that the Adopt-a-Park program has already been initiated around the city and on the island in the past, this validating the possibility of success if the proposed idea of soliciting commercial and private entities to invest in the carrying out of a large scale rehabbing plan for Belle Isle Park. Mayor Bing has already been encouraging residents, block clubs, community organizations and companies to consider adopting a park in a fully developed plan on the city’s government website, where he has posted a city of service plan containing several ‘call to action initiatives’ in which he encourages Detroit citizens to volunteer their time, skills and services in order to assist in the transformation of the city into a city with a renewed sense of
pride.
During my research efforts I came across the Shade Fund’s website and choose as my second suggestion; the use of this organization as a resource because of their commitment to investing in green businesses whose very existence will conserve the nation’s natural resources. Belle Isle Island is one of our nation’s most prized natural resources. So, couldn’t it quite possibly be that one of the nation’s largest Islands would be eligible for funding from an organization such as Shade fund? Belle Isle could qualify under one of their required categories: ecotourism.
The Shade Fund organization would serve as an alternative solution. Shade Fund is a program of Natural Capital Investment Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution affiliated with the Conservation Fund which has helped small businesses leverage $44 million in critical growth capital since 2001(ShadeFund). The Shade fund organization will supply funding to eligible green businesses through what is called Gap financing which will provide the upfront money needed for this project. Repayment of this loan which is normally structured as a low-interest loan will become due when more permanent financing becomes available. Gap financing is offered through the ShadeFund organization for real estate projects in transition across the United States. Interested borrowers are asked about their commitment to being a good steward of land, water and energy during the loan process. It is suggested that the city of Detroit apply for a gap loan from this financial investment entity immediately upon enacting this trajectory plan. This loan, if approved, would serve as a cushion put in place just in case the Adopt-a-Park initiative proves to show slow progression. The City of Detroit could as a commercial ecotourism business apply for a gap loan to raise funds for the park’s restoration.
A third proposed solution of this diverse plan would be the assemblage of a volunteer manned staff, a volunteer staff that could be formed by reaching out to the seniors, the youth, and the disable citizens of Detroit. A nationwide program called Cities of Service which has awarded United States cities up to $1 million in grants to help implement high impact volunteer strategies. During further research, it was discovered that Cities of Service.Org was founded in New York City on September 10, 2009 by 17 mayors in cities around the nation. Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have committed to work together to lead a multi-year effort to expand impact volunteerism funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies to help cities use impact volunteering to tackle pressing local challenges. Grant sizes can range from $25,000 to $100,000 with larger amounts reserved for cities with multiple initiatives (Cities of Service). City of Service will provide grant money to eligible cities that meet their mandated criteria. For example, “the city of Pittsburgh is getting a $200,000 private grant to oversee and increase volunteerism. The city and nine others nationwide received the "Cities of Service" grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bloomberg Philanthropies to hire a chief services officer to coordinate volunteer efforts among city government, nonprofits, foundations and neighborhoods. In Pittsburgh, the focus will be on promoting youth programs (such as the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program) and neighborhood development plans, including citywide environmental initiatives” (McNulty). If awarded this grant money, it could assist in the advertising and launching of a volunteer manned staff to supplement the under staffed park. The use of volunteers will save money by filling jobs vacancies that were left open when city workers had to be laid-off due to budget cuts thereby augmenting needed maintenance workers without increased payroll. In a sincere message on the city’s website, detroitmi.gov, Mayor Dave Bing addresses how the many challenges, same as the bleak economy climate has affected every facet of the city’s existences. Mayor Bing states that through successful volunteerism, citizens that support their neighborhoods, on the average have been estimated to contribute anywhere from $150 to $300 billion in services and time to the national economy (detroitmi.gov); that’s billions of dollars that will be translated into billions saved on payroll and maintenance cost of the park, as well as encourage the camaraderie of Detroiters as they lift up their community by sharing their time and skills in the form of sweat equity donations
And based on the success of the first three proposed suggestions, the fourth and final intricate part of this plan would be to establish an entrance fee; set at a designated amount to be charged at the bridge’s entrance. Thus aiding in the stimulation of long term revenue for the city of Detroit since the city is engaged in one of the nation’s largest ever bankruptcies. Michigan State parks have charged citizens admission fees to utilize state parks for years, mainly through annual state park passes. Revenue generated by these fees used in conjunction with state allocated taxes aid in the operation and maintenance cost of all state parks. The one clear aspect of the proposed leasing deal offered by the state’s Governor Rick Snyder was the establishment of an entry fee. The city council hesitated because they questioned the ambiguities in the leasing deal and as a result the deal was removed for the table because of a missed deadline that was established by the governor to take-over the running of the park. Detroit 's signature park costs Detroit $6 million a year to operate and maintain (detroitmi.gov). The State leasing deal would have eliminated this enormous expense by taking on the cost of operating the park. It’s a beautiful park that could be again if the city wasn 't in such a dire sitution. The park has suffered because of budget cutbacks due to the adverse economy, so once the park is revitalized, an admission fee would assist in the maintenance of the newly restored park. In the past, Detroit citizens have scoffed at the idea of a fee to enter the city park because it is a general consensus that Belle Isle belongs to the citizens and that the city taxes they pay deems the park free to use. But in light of the city’s economical state and the prospect of the park’s improvements, it could be assumed that the citizens would approve of establishing an entrance fee this time around.
A similar plan has been presented to the city council in the past. It is a well developed plan that was prepared over a two year period from 1996 to 1997 called Belle Master Plan. This plan consists of a study that laid out an extensive renovation plan that lists the cost estimation and the need to solicit investors to fund the master plan. In the study it is stated that a major effort is needed to restore Belle Isle to its prominent place as one of America’s great parks. The first step in defining a planning strategy for the future is to understand the island’s problems. Belle Isle is in crisis; it’s Infrastructure, maintenance and management systems do not function well and must be rethought (Belle Isle Island Master Plan, chap.1, pg 1-2). This revitalization plan cited in this research essay could work in conjunction with the projected renovation plan of the city of Detroit Recreation Department. All the in-depth research and development of the plan has already been presented to the city council. Belle Isle as the enchanted ecotourism facility laid out in the Department of Recreations plan would indeed stimulate long term revenue for the city of Detroit.
Presently, there is an alternative proposed plan by a group of private investors developed by a real estate developer named Rodney Lockwood, Jr. Lockwood wants to purchase the island for the sum total of $1 billion and turn it into a Commonwealth. The Detroit-area developer says he has proposed a bizarre and controversial solution to the Motor City 's monetary problems -- sell off the city 's Belle Isle Park to private investors so they can transform it into a privately-owned bastion of free market capitalism (Lockwood, Jr.) Helms, a reporter at the Detroit Free Press, describes in his article “Belle Isle “how under Lockwood 's more utopian proposal, the Belle Isle city-state would print its own money, write its own laws and would accommodate a population of 35,000 people. A website promoting the plan draws parallels with the principality of Monaco, a sovereign city-state located on the French Riviera, saying it supports a comparable population on about half the landmass of the island.
Lockwood and his high powered backers presented this plan to local power players at the upscale Detroit Athletic Club on Jan. 21, 2013 the Detroit News reported. Representatives from the Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Economic Club attended the presentation. “George Jackson, president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp told the newspaper "Belle Isle will get fixed" but "it won 't be that plan"(Helms). As an alternative plan to help save Detroit, I would have to agree with Mr. Jackson. This plan only offers a short-term fix to the city’s financial woes. $1 Billion Dollars is a drop in the bucket in terms of Detroit’s $18 Billon debt. The proposed plan cited in the essay has the potential to provide long term revenue for Detroit if successfully implemented. In conclusion, this revitalization plan is positively ideal and could help to put Detroit on the map as a tourist attraction as well as breathe new life into a historical jewel. Many cities have overcome similar situations that have plagued Belle Isle. The cities include New York City Central Park, City of Dallas Fair Park, Grant Park in Chicago and Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The conservation of this ecosystem is vital to the execution of this proposed plan and will require the entire Detroit Metro area to be supportive of reinvesting Belle Isle as an economic and re-positioning tool for the city.
Works Cited
Belle Isle Island Master Plan. Detroit: Detroit Recreation Department, 2005. Chaps 1-4, 1-95. Web. 20 Aug. 2013
Proposal Essay 4
Abstract
This essay will provide a brief history of the historical Belle Isle Island Park. It is a beautiful park that has declined over the years due to budget cuts which will continue its decline due to the city being in such a dire situation. Detroit spends an estimated $6 million a year to operate and maintain Belle Isle Park (Helms). The city has filed bankruptcy and could possibly have to sale treasured assets to eliminate its debts. Maintaining ownership of what is the nation’s largest city owned ecological asset, could through implementing the proposed trajectory plan cited in this essay could provide long-term revenue for the city. By …show more content…
revitalizing Belle Isle Island through a four-stage trajectory plan which includes implementing a full stage Adopt-a-Park program, gap loan funding, volunteerism and the establishment of a park entry fee.
Belle Isle: A plan to Restore and Revitalize Detroit
Belle Isle is a large urban 982-acre Island Park that sits in the middle of the Detroit River. The Island Park is now a deteriorating historical landmark that has a rich history which dates back to the early seventeen hundreds. In order to understand the importance of the plan laid- out in this essay a brief history of Belle Isle Island has been included.
The rich history of this island begins with the original owners, the Ottawa and Chippewa Indian tribes, which they called Wah-na-be-zee (White Swan) Island. In 1768 a Lt. George McDougal purchased the island from the Native Americans. In the early 1700s the French were using it as a livestock grazing ground, the low swampy island, inhabited by herds of wild hogs, because of this the island became known as “Hog Island”. Then later in 1793 a William Macomb purchased the Island. In the early eighteen hundreds the island would change ownership two more times. It became a popular picnic spot after Barnabus Campau purchased it in 1817 for $5,000. In 1845, Hog Island becomes Belle Isle (Belle Isle Master Plan). An undetermined amount of Detroit citizens believe in an age old fallacy that Belle Isle Island was donated to Detroit by its previous private owner with the promise that it could not be sold and that it must remain free to use by the citizens, but this is an erroneous belief that has no found true. The true fact is that the Island was purchased by Detroit City on May 27th, 1879 when the Michigan State Legislature approved bonds up to $200,000 to be raised for the buying of the island for the city and the construction of a bridge from the mainland (1800 's Belle Isle History). This magnificent natural resource was in fact privately owned and used as the private residence of several affluent families in the past, but was in fact sold to the city not donated as people believe.
This historical jewel was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, a notable architect who was known as “the father of landscape architecture” in the early 1900’s. Olmstead designed the U.S. Capitol grounds, Central Park, the Buffalo and Boston park systems and the Columbian Exposition fair grounds (Sowder). The park with its connecting bridge was developed as a recreational park which dawns many beautiful features such as historical monuments, a beautiful fountain, 200-acre woodlands, conservatory garden, an aquarium and even the Belle Isle Zoo, pony rides, bike rental of which are dilapidated and long since shut-down. There also is a nature center, giant slide and playground area which were erected thanks to privately donated funds.
The beautiful Island of Belle Isle rich historical status qualified it to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many families would and still do celebrate holidays and family reunions by picnicking on this island. This park is one of America’s largest city owned parks in the nation, making it Detroit’s most valuable asset. Belle Isle Park is in need of a complete restoration plan which would encompass the completion of some serious upgrades and tons of maintenance work. Detroit need not let this gem go to waste. This essay lays out a proposed trajectory plan to revitalize Belle Isle by promoting it for ecotourism. A plan that if accepted by Detroit city officials, will assist in the restoration of this park that in turn will provide much needed revenue to the city. Detroit needs revenue in light of the looming debt ($18 billion) that has caused the city to go into ‘State Receivership’. The state appointed emergency manager, Robert Orr, has filed bankruptcy on behalf of the city and could quite possibly have to sale off treasured city assets, which includes Belle Isle, to help eliminate this debt. The city must fight to retain this city owned jewel by taking advantage of its potential to assist in the revitalization of Detroit. The proposed plan is made up of four diverse parts with its main objective being to utilize the potential of Detroit’s largest asset’s ability to aid in the revitalizing of the city by providing long-term revenue for the city; by initiating an Adopt-a-Park program, applying for gap financing, forming a volunteer manned staff and by implementing an admission fee to enter the park.
This proposal highlights four suggested trajectory solutions for the complete rehabbing of Belle Isles dilapidated recreational areas. Once all seriously needed upgrades and much needed maintenance work is completed, the business of promoting Belle Isle Island as a tourist attraction can began. The first plan of action for rehabbing the largely dilapidated park can be accomplished through the initiating of an Adopt-a- Park program. Solicitation of major corporations, local businesses and organizations to invest money and/or donate their services to assist in bringing the park back to its original state; a fully operational recreational park, where citizens and tourist cannot only partake of eco-friendly and state of the art recreational facilities, but special events as well, such as the Grand Prix, concerts and festivals.
The idea of the Adopt-a-Park program is not a new one in the city of Detroit. Communities, organizations and even private citizens have adopted several smaller parks around the city in the past. Community block clubs have voluntarily cleaned up and privately funded the rehab of several neighborhood parks.
One prime example of this is the Delores Bennett Playground located at Smith and Beaubien, on Detroit’s North End, that has been adopted by a commercial engineering business named Lakeshore Engineering; they have cleaned-up and equipped the park with new playground equipment for the children of that neighborhood. Lakeshore Engineering Services, is a Detroit division of a Chicago based company that provides start-to-finish services in general construction, program management, environmental remediation as well as clean-up and facility management services. In a public relations wire in CORP! Magazine on March 25, 2011, Alicia C. Minter, Detroit’s Recreation Department Director commented that "Lakeshore Engineering Services provides an excellent example of how the private sector can work with the City to help maintain our neighborhood playgrounds, and she goes on to say that, everyone needs a place in their neighborhood for recreation and leisure activities. Recreation is not only beneficial health wise; it also creates a sense of community,"(Mitchell-Rodgers, Para. 4). The park renovations was initiated by a private citizen named Delores Bennett (hence the parks name), whose dedication to community leadership lead to the establishment of the North End Youth Council.
A second example would be how businesses such as Chevrolet who partnered with the Indy racing series and Penske Corp.
in a three-year race deal, after a four-year absence, helped to initiate the return of the Izod Indy Car Series to Detroit on June 1-3, 2012, to race a 2.1-mile circuit on Belle Isle” (Automotive News, 2011). The Penske Corp and Chevrolet funded the building of the race course and some restorations to ready the park for the races. It is apparent that the Adopt-a-Park program has already been initiated around the city and on the island in the past, this validating the possibility of success if the proposed idea of soliciting commercial and private entities to invest in the carrying out of a large scale rehabbing plan for Belle Isle Park. Mayor Bing has already been encouraging residents, block clubs, community organizations and companies to consider adopting a park in a fully developed plan on the city’s government website, where he has posted a city of service plan containing several ‘call to action initiatives’ in which he encourages Detroit citizens to volunteer their time, skills and services in order to assist in the transformation of the city into a city with a renewed sense of
pride.
During my research efforts I came across the Shade Fund’s website and choose as my second suggestion; the use of this organization as a resource because of their commitment to investing in green businesses whose very existence will conserve the nation’s natural resources. Belle Isle Island is one of our nation’s most prized natural resources. So, couldn’t it quite possibly be that one of the nation’s largest Islands would be eligible for funding from an organization such as Shade fund? Belle Isle could qualify under one of their required categories: ecotourism.
The Shade Fund organization would serve as an alternative solution. Shade Fund is a program of Natural Capital Investment Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution affiliated with the Conservation Fund which has helped small businesses leverage $44 million in critical growth capital since 2001(ShadeFund). The Shade fund organization will supply funding to eligible green businesses through what is called Gap financing which will provide the upfront money needed for this project. Repayment of this loan which is normally structured as a low-interest loan will become due when more permanent financing becomes available. Gap financing is offered through the ShadeFund organization for real estate projects in transition across the United States. Interested borrowers are asked about their commitment to being a good steward of land, water and energy during the loan process. It is suggested that the city of Detroit apply for a gap loan from this financial investment entity immediately upon enacting this trajectory plan. This loan, if approved, would serve as a cushion put in place just in case the Adopt-a-Park initiative proves to show slow progression. The City of Detroit could as a commercial ecotourism business apply for a gap loan to raise funds for the park’s restoration.
A third proposed solution of this diverse plan would be the assemblage of a volunteer manned staff, a volunteer staff that could be formed by reaching out to the seniors, the youth, and the disable citizens of Detroit. A nationwide program called Cities of Service which has awarded United States cities up to $1 million in grants to help implement high impact volunteer strategies. During further research, it was discovered that Cities of Service.Org was founded in New York City on September 10, 2009 by 17 mayors in cities around the nation. Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have committed to work together to lead a multi-year effort to expand impact volunteerism funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies to help cities use impact volunteering to tackle pressing local challenges. Grant sizes can range from $25,000 to $100,000 with larger amounts reserved for cities with multiple initiatives (Cities of Service). City of Service will provide grant money to eligible cities that meet their mandated criteria. For example, “the city of Pittsburgh is getting a $200,000 private grant to oversee and increase volunteerism. The city and nine others nationwide received the "Cities of Service" grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bloomberg Philanthropies to hire a chief services officer to coordinate volunteer efforts among city government, nonprofits, foundations and neighborhoods. In Pittsburgh, the focus will be on promoting youth programs (such as the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program) and neighborhood development plans, including citywide environmental initiatives” (McNulty). If awarded this grant money, it could assist in the advertising and launching of a volunteer manned staff to supplement the under staffed park. The use of volunteers will save money by filling jobs vacancies that were left open when city workers had to be laid-off due to budget cuts thereby augmenting needed maintenance workers without increased payroll. In a sincere message on the city’s website, detroitmi.gov, Mayor Dave Bing addresses how the many challenges, same as the bleak economy climate has affected every facet of the city’s existences. Mayor Bing states that through successful volunteerism, citizens that support their neighborhoods, on the average have been estimated to contribute anywhere from $150 to $300 billion in services and time to the national economy (detroitmi.gov); that’s billions of dollars that will be translated into billions saved on payroll and maintenance cost of the park, as well as encourage the camaraderie of Detroiters as they lift up their community by sharing their time and skills in the form of sweat equity donations
And based on the success of the first three proposed suggestions, the fourth and final intricate part of this plan would be to establish an entrance fee; set at a designated amount to be charged at the bridge’s entrance. Thus aiding in the stimulation of long term revenue for the city of Detroit since the city is engaged in one of the nation’s largest ever bankruptcies. Michigan State parks have charged citizens admission fees to utilize state parks for years, mainly through annual state park passes. Revenue generated by these fees used in conjunction with state allocated taxes aid in the operation and maintenance cost of all state parks. The one clear aspect of the proposed leasing deal offered by the state’s Governor Rick Snyder was the establishment of an entry fee. The city council hesitated because they questioned the ambiguities in the leasing deal and as a result the deal was removed for the table because of a missed deadline that was established by the governor to take-over the running of the park. Detroit 's signature park costs Detroit $6 million a year to operate and maintain (detroitmi.gov). The State leasing deal would have eliminated this enormous expense by taking on the cost of operating the park. It’s a beautiful park that could be again if the city wasn 't in such a dire sitution. The park has suffered because of budget cutbacks due to the adverse economy, so once the park is revitalized, an admission fee would assist in the maintenance of the newly restored park. In the past, Detroit citizens have scoffed at the idea of a fee to enter the city park because it is a general consensus that Belle Isle belongs to the citizens and that the city taxes they pay deems the park free to use. But in light of the city’s economical state and the prospect of the park’s improvements, it could be assumed that the citizens would approve of establishing an entrance fee this time around.
A similar plan has been presented to the city council in the past. It is a well developed plan that was prepared over a two year period from 1996 to 1997 called Belle Master Plan. This plan consists of a study that laid out an extensive renovation plan that lists the cost estimation and the need to solicit investors to fund the master plan. In the study it is stated that a major effort is needed to restore Belle Isle to its prominent place as one of America’s great parks. The first step in defining a planning strategy for the future is to understand the island’s problems. Belle Isle is in crisis; it’s Infrastructure, maintenance and management systems do not function well and must be rethought (Belle Isle Island Master Plan, chap.1, pg 1-2). This revitalization plan cited in this research essay could work in conjunction with the projected renovation plan of the city of Detroit Recreation Department. All the in-depth research and development of the plan has already been presented to the city council. Belle Isle as the enchanted ecotourism facility laid out in the Department of Recreations plan would indeed stimulate long term revenue for the city of Detroit.
Presently, there is an alternative proposed plan by a group of private investors developed by a real estate developer named Rodney Lockwood, Jr. Lockwood wants to purchase the island for the sum total of $1 billion and turn it into a Commonwealth. The Detroit-area developer says he has proposed a bizarre and controversial solution to the Motor City 's monetary problems -- sell off the city 's Belle Isle Park to private investors so they can transform it into a privately-owned bastion of free market capitalism (Lockwood, Jr.) Helms, a reporter at the Detroit Free Press, describes in his article “Belle Isle “how under Lockwood 's more utopian proposal, the Belle Isle city-state would print its own money, write its own laws and would accommodate a population of 35,000 people. A website promoting the plan draws parallels with the principality of Monaco, a sovereign city-state located on the French Riviera, saying it supports a comparable population on about half the landmass of the island.
Lockwood and his high powered backers presented this plan to local power players at the upscale Detroit Athletic Club on Jan. 21, 2013 the Detroit News reported. Representatives from the Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Economic Club attended the presentation. “George Jackson, president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp told the newspaper "Belle Isle will get fixed" but "it won 't be that plan"(Helms). As an alternative plan to help save Detroit, I would have to agree with Mr. Jackson. This plan only offers a short-term fix to the city’s financial woes. $1 Billion Dollars is a drop in the bucket in terms of Detroit’s $18 Billon debt. The proposed plan cited in the essay has the potential to provide long term revenue for Detroit if successfully implemented. In conclusion, this revitalization plan is positively ideal and could help to put Detroit on the map as a tourist attraction as well as breathe new life into a historical jewel. Many cities have overcome similar situations that have plagued Belle Isle. The cities include New York City Central Park, City of Dallas Fair Park, Grant Park in Chicago and Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The conservation of this ecosystem is vital to the execution of this proposed plan and will require the entire Detroit Metro area to be supportive of reinvesting Belle Isle as an economic and re-positioning tool for the city.
Works Cited
Belle Isle Island Master Plan. Detroit: Detroit Recreation Department, 2005. Chaps 1-4, 1-95. Web. 20 Aug. 2013