Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning January 2007 » Belle Isle Aquarium « Previous Next »
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Kville
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Username: Kville

Post Number: 27
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 5:41 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have a question: I am living in NE Indiana now and since the closing of the aquarium a year or so ago, does anyone know what, if anything, is being planned for that site. Will it become another Detroit Boat Club building?

We always loved that aquarium because it was small. It wasn't exciting like the Baltimore one, but you also didn't have to be herded through with thousands of other people. It is a beautiful building and had class. We took our granddaughters there a few years ago and they were just as excited about it as we were when we were kids. We brought some friends from Indiana to Detroit about 2 years ago and they were impressed by the fact that it was one of the oldest or THE oldest aquarium in North America (not sure which). I was distressed when it was closed.
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Mthouston
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Username: Mthouston

Post Number: 905
Registered: 01-2006
Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 6:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

have a question: I am living in NE Indiana now and since the closing of the aquarium a year or so ago, does anyone know what, if anything, is being planned for that site. Will it become another Detroit Boat Club building?



I was just down there yesterday, the city had some folks working in it. I could not get a straight answer as to what was going on.
I'm sorry to say I believe it will go the route of the Detroit Boat Club, hope I'm wrong..

Here the some of the "last" photos from the aquarium.
http://www.360michigan.net/aqu arium.html
It requires quicktime to view them.
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Irvine_laird
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Username: Irvine_laird

Post Number: 39
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 4:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

An inside source told me this week that the City of Detroit wants to transform the old aquarium into a Belle Isle welcome center. Meanwhile, my sources tell me the decision-makers in the city government are in favor of building an aquarium on the riverfront.
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Eric
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Username: Eric

Post Number: 816
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 4:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wasn't it rumored that the reason why the city never allowed the friends of the aquarium to take over, was the leadership at the city/zoo wanted a new aquarium and thought it'd be easier to move forward with the old one closed?
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Irvine_laird
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Username: Irvine_laird

Post Number: 43
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 4:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bingo, Eric.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 4294
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 4:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wouldn't the much more visible (and near the Island entrance) Belle Isle Casino make a better welcome center?
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Irvine_laird
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Username: Irvine_laird

Post Number: 44
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 5:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I agree with you, Gistok. The Casino is the better choice for a welcome center. What are the odds that the City will ever get it together enough to realize the master plan for Belle Isle? Does the emergence of Roger Penske behind the wheel of the Grand Prix increase the likelihood of a Belle Isle master plan moving from concept to construction?
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 4296
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 5:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Irvine_laird, lets hope so.

2 weeks ago I drove around (and thru) the island. The western end is fine, but the eastern middle portion of the island is in sore need of attention. Now that the deer are gone, I felt like I was driving thru "The Swamp Thing" movie set.

But I too have hope for the future...
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Kville
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Username: Kville

Post Number: 34
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 5:06 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Are the deer gone? I've wondered about that. Like I said, I live in Indiana now, so don't get to the island as often as in the past; but the last few times we went, we kept looking for them and couldn't see anything. My dad was with us last time (he still lives in Detroit)& he hadn't heard anything about the deer being gone; but if they've been shipped out, that would explain it.
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Mthouston
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Username: Mthouston

Post Number: 909
Registered: 01-2006
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 5:54 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The deer are penned in the Belle Isle Zoo.

Since they are a non native species they should be removed.
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Kville
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Username: Kville

Post Number: 36
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 6:12 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That brings up another question. What's the status of the Belle Isle Zoo? There never appears to be much activity there. Is it alive & well? The giant slide also seems to be pretty inactive - is it still used?
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Irvine_laird
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Username: Irvine_laird

Post Number: 45
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 9:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is now part of the Detroit Zoo (managed by the Detroit Zoological Society) and is open daily. Check out this link:

http://www.detroitzoo.org/Visi tors/Nature_Center/Belle_Isle_ Nature_Zoo/
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Mdoyle
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Username: Mdoyle

Post Number: 74
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 1:26 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There are plenty of deer penned up at the old zoo. Last fall the front gates were wide open (just had to walk through the turn styles)aside from the deer everything else was in shambles. I haven't been to the new facility but Im curious to know what will happen with the old.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 4301
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 2:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Is it just me or does it seem kinda strange that they closed the Belle Isle Zoo... and opened (in a different location on the island and in a new building) the Belle Isle Nature Zoo!

I realize that they are different genre's... but geeze... first they spent all that money to build the Belle Isle Zoo, and then zippo... it's closed. Ditto for the twice built Chene Park Amphitheatre (first the 3,000 seat one wasn't big enough so they reconstructed the hill to hold 5000 seats)... and now that is going to be torn down for a new Amphitheatre in Hart Plaza...

Grrrr....politicians with their heads up their butts... spending the taxpayers scarce dollars.
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Irvine_laird
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Username: Irvine_laird

Post Number: 47
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 4:22 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Those who can't do anything else, do politics.
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Crew
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Username: Crew

Post Number: 1262
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 4:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...and those who can't get elected become consultants
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Dougw
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Username: Dougw

Post Number: 1675
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 4:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

While I think the mayor & administration is doing a relatively good job this term in many respects, I have to admit the whole New Aquarium idea is just incredibly stupid. One can only hope that the old aquarium is properly mothballed so that in 5 years or so, when the New Aquarium idea is going nowhere, the city can sell the old aquarium to a non-profit to reopen.
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Irvine_laird
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Username: Irvine_laird

Post Number: 48
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 5:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Even with Roger Penske in the picture, I believe the best chance for any single Belle Isle attraction to sustain its mission and operations into the future is to end the notion of singular Belle Isle attactions. We need to manage and market Belle Isle as one attraction with many options. This would create an economy of scale that would improve the fortunes of all the attractions in the park.

So, rather than an aquarium that is under the management of one not-for-profit organization and a conservatory under the management of another not-for-profit organization, one not-for-profit organization should manage and market the aquarium, the conservatory, the museum, the zoo, and the other attractions in the park except for the Detroit Yacht Club, the U.S. Coast Guard, etc.

If the City of Detroit cannot manage and market the park, it should consider giving that responsibility to a not-for-profit that give its full attention to the mission of preserving and promoting Belle Isle (much as the City made similar arrangements for the Detroit Zoo, Detroit Historical Museum, and Eastern Market).
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Jt1
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Username: Jt1

Post Number: 9131
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 - 5:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why does the city need to marketBell Isle. It does not bring in any substantial amount of revenue.

We need to improve BI for the citizens of the city but it isn't like it is a tourist detsination that will bring money into the city or businesses in the city.

PS - The odds of Kagan's dream aquarium being built is somewhere between never and 1% in my opinion.
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Nere
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Username: Nere

Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 6:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I didn't even know the Belle Isle Nature Zoo was open! I drove through Belle Isle on Thursday, and the island just looked like a big hangout for area teens and some families. I did see some deer at some part of the island (I drove through the middle). It's a shame that Detroit doesn't do more with the island. It seems like a waste to have a perfectly fine piece of land that could have a lot of potential. Perhaps a larger rec center? A metro park?
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Buzzman0077
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Username: Buzzman0077

Post Number: 78
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 7:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think that handing Belle Isle over to a non-profit that would solely focus on improving Belle Isle and marketing it for tourists could only help to improve it for the citizens of Detroit. If nothing else turn it over to the metro parks. They can afford to maintain and improve the island better than the city can.
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Saintme
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Username: Saintme

Post Number: 42
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 9:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was on Belle Isle yesterday with three friends from Canton who'd never been there (and I haven't been since before kindergarten.) We got some ice cream and wasted a good 2 hours just hanging out on the rocks looking at the skyline. We took about 900 pictures between the four of us of the aquarium and conservatory (which none of us had ever been in.)

As soon as I got home I showed the pictures to my 13 year old sister and she is utterly fascinated by the aquarium building. Needless to say, I had to promise to bring HER now later on this week. I don't care what they turn any of those buildings into as long as they KEEP THEM!

My only issue was that all the bathrooms we tried were locked! Are they only open when it gets warmer?
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Kimistree
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Username: Kimistree

Post Number: 58
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 11:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Belle Isle Nature zoo is in the old Nature Center. They did not build a new building for the zoo. I take my kids to classes there twice a month that are funded by the Huron Clinton Metro Authority.
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Spiritofdetroit
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Username: Spiritofdetroit

Post Number: 478
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 11:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A lot of the bathrooms have been under repair recently (you would NOT have wanted to walk in them otherwise), so perhaps they havent finished renovations
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Vetalalumni
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Username: Vetalalumni

Post Number: 177
Registered: 05-2007
Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 7:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There is a recent thread called "Belle Isle photographs throughout the seasons" which has photographs of deer when they were not "penned" back in 1994.

See https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/103025.html?1180472622

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