Detroit’s venerable Belle Isle Boathouse is slated for rehabilitation and expansion into a new “gateway” for the municipal island park.
Located in the middle of the Detroit River between the U.S. and Canada, the 1.5-square-mile Belle Isle was designed by famed American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed New York’s Central Park and Montreal’s Mount Royal Park.
The boathouse dates from 1902 and was one of the first concrete buildings in the U.S., as previous boathouses were susceptible to fire. Much of the three-story building remains intact though a section of the porch collapsed three years ago.
The park is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under a lease from the City of Detroit. The DNR took over island management 10 years ago to restore the park, its buildings having suffered substantial decay over previous decades. Almost $120 million has been invested, overwhelmingly public money, into rehabilitating structures such as a fountain, a “casino” and aquarium.
The 44,000-square-foot boathouse eventually was condemned due to structural problems including a roof cave-in, deteriorated steel and concrete structural members and eroded exterior stucco.
A consultant estimated full rehab would cost $40 million and the state could not ante up more than $2 million. DNR put out proposal requests and only one was deemed “most likely to be successful,” said Tom Bissett, DNR’s urban district supervisor for the island.
That was from Detroit’s Stuart-Pitman Inc., which specializes in historic restoration, and had rehabilitated the so-called Grand Army of the Republic building, a triangular castle-like structure built for Civil War veterans on Detroit’s near east side.
While “this was the proposal selected as most likely to move forward” a lot of sign offs still need to be completed, including raising funding, Bissett said. Envisioned is a combination of private financing, tax credits and grants.
Bisset said the state’s goal is to expand use of the building and surrounding grounds for public restrooms, restaurants and a transportation hub with water taxis.
Stuart-Pitman’s Dave Carleton is excited to take on the project.
“It’s important to save history and Detroit has a lot of it that’s been lost,” he said.
Carleton said the greatest physical challenge is the building’s exterior.
“The type of Portland cement used on the exterior was inappropriate,” he said. “I’m really happy with the condition of the interior. It’s almost move-in ready once you get past the exterior and the deck that collapsed.”
A new roof will be added. But “the fun part is always the design and the programming on the inside.”
Carleton said the geography lends itself to being a “gateway,” on a small island off Belle Isle and the first building one sees after crossing the MacArthur Bridge.
A couple of surrounding acres would house amenities like cafes and patios.
“We’re going to fill in the (old swimming) pools. We’re going to create more programmable space and certainly waterfront dining,” he said.
Carleton said one crucial aspect is obtaining a long-term lease from the city. Meanwhile his team and the state, city and stakeholders continue to finesse the details.
“Everyone’s working really well together. It’s just trying to figure out the nuts and bolts.”
Other amenities would be a bocce court in summer and curling in winter to “really to give another year-round destination on the island,” he said.
“We are calling it ‘The Gateway’ because whether it’s a welcome center working with the DNR where people either stop at first or stop on their way out having a lunch it’s really going to bring some exciting new assets to Belle Isle.”
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