Belle Isle is for Detroit

The past couple weeks Belle Isle has been a hot topic around Detroit. Thankfully today during the Neighborhood & Community Services meeting a request was made by Council member JoAnn Watson to bring forward the Belle Isle Master Plan through the administration. Provisions to permit an entrance fee are to be considered with stipulation that revenue collected would be placed directly into maintaining Belle Isle.

The policy of Parks & Recreation has been to distribute 50% of revenue brought in through Belle Isle for itself and 50% would go into Parks & Recreation funds to be used across the city. This is how the contract for the upcoming Orion Music and More Festival has been structured. The festival will be bringing $100,000 in 2013, $100,000 in 2014, and $250,000 in 2015 for two days of concert use of Belle Isle. The contract also has provision for additional revenues from the concert based on thresholds being met for sale of additional materials. A seemingly missed opportunity in the contract