Historic Belle Isle fountain gets $6M makeover
Iconic Belle Isle fountain to shutdown for two-year makeover
Repairs and improvements are needed on the century-old landmark on Belle Isle.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The iconic fountain at Belle Isle has been around for a century and the cracks are starting to show, literally. It will be closed this summer for a million-dollar makeover.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the fountain will undergo $6 million in renovations that include new concrete and plumbing.
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The renovation project is expected to take approximately 18 months.
"It’s exciting to not only get this project done but to get a lot of the stuff done on the island," said Tom Bissett, Michigan DNR.
The beloved James Scott Memorial Foundation is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.
"The fountain is the first stop on the island when you come. Sometimes it’s the last. But most of the time you’re coming here first. people have family photos, senior photos, wedding pictures, wedding proposals," Bissett said.
It's been creating all kinds of memories but for some time, cracks have been showing in the foundation and its leaking.
"We’re going to be removing the lower bowl of the fountain," he said. "So all the exterior marble is going to be removed and stored off-site. we’re going to be removing the concrete bowl of the fountain, re-stabilizing everything underneath."
Bissett, the DNR's urban district supervisor, says its not just leaking on the surface, but below ground too.
"We’re underneath the lower bowl of the fountain. you can see some evidence of the water leaking through," he said.
He says the water drips on the mechanical apparatus and panels. They’ve got to clean it up, and implement some upgrades.
"These are the control boxes for the lights. Like I said, we used to just have red, blue, and yellow lights. These will all be removed and we’ll have a new LED system," he said.
Bissett says the project will take about two years to complete and funding is coming from the American Rescue Plan.
"It needs to last for another hundred years so we can make it to the 200-year anniversary," he said.
The Source: Information for this story came from an interview with the Michigan DNR.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 13: A general view of the Belle Isle Fountain on August 13, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images)