DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Belle Isle Boat House is an iconic Detroit Landmark, but it could soon be on the chopping block.
Today I learned about the condition it’s currently in and why a recent influx of cash won’t be enough to save it.
Native Detroiters and friends Mike Laskowski, Greg Gaworecki, and Ray Martyniuk were out for a Wednesday bike ride when I caught up with them.
“We talk while we’re riding that we all have childhood memories when we used to come down, right? And swim. I’ve been coming here for 70 years,” said Ray Martyniuk of Commerce Township.
“My son, when he was in high school, used to crew. And I saw the crew boats out there,” said Greg Gaworecki of Northville. “I thought, yeah, it would be pretty sad to see it go because it’s got a good history, long history in this place.”
He’s talking about the Belle Isle Boat House, a Detroit icon since it was built in 1902. It’s now managed by the Department of Natural Resources. Thomas Bissett is the DNR’s Urban District Supervisor.
“What it really brought back to me is the nostalgia of what you’d get from things like the Meadowbrook Hall and the buildings like that where it’s just very ornate and very beautiful,” said Thomas Bissett, Urban District Supervisor.
The concrete Venetian-style building was designed by Detroit architect Alpheus Chittenden. Bissett says there is more degradation than most realize.
“It’s a building right out on the water. Concrete tends to absorb that water and a lot of that degradation tends to come from that,” said Bissett. “There are failings as far as the roof, the floor actually collapsed in a couple of different spots, some of the balconies are collapsing.”
The good news is that Belle Isle Park has received about $23 million in American Rescue Plan grants. On Thursday, the Belle Isle Advisory Committee will receive a public presentation about future options.
“There are three options out there. I mean one would be demolition. Two would be delaying and mothballing. And the third would be some sort of restoration,” said Bissett.
But restoration would cost tens of millions.
“We are in a spot where we only have so much money to go around. We have over $200 million worth of stuff identified that needs repair or replacement on the island,” said Bissett.
I ran the numbers for restoring the Belle Isle Boat House by Mike, Greg, and Ray, "They did tell me though that it would probably cost between $40 and $50 million to repair it."
“Wow, that’s a lot of money.”
And while they would hate to see it go, “I think for that kind of money for restoration, money could be spent better somewhere else,” said Greg Gaworecki who lives in Northville.
For others though, this is a Detroit icon many have fond childhood memories about.
"It’s been around for over a century, and we’ve seen so many buildings go."
Now the public can make their voices heard tomorrow at the 9 a.m. public meeting. click here
