DNR Shares Information on Condition, Options for Belle Isle Boathouse
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reviewing options for the deteriorated Belle Isle Boathouse, located on the Detroit River in Belle Isle Park, and is inviting the public to learn more about those options and associated costs.
Anyone interested in the future of Belle Isle, broadly, and the boathouse, specifically – visitors, community members, stakeholders and others – is encouraged to visit the project webpage to learn about the options and share feedback by Dec. 31.
Constructed by the Detroit Boat Club in 1902, the 40,000-square-foot boathouse was, for many years, for the exclusive use of its members.
The facility, not to be confused with the Detroit Yacht Club, has been overseen and maintained by the Friends of Detroit Rowing since the mid-1990s under a lease agreement. The lease initially was held with the City of Detroit but transferred to the DNR in 2014 when the department assumed management of the island as a state park. The Friends are responsible for building upkeep, while the DNR handles the park’s overall management. Read more