Yesterday marked six months since Belle Isle, Detroit's island park, became state-run. In celebration, Freep shot a wonky video. Here's why the park is different this summer than previous years:
· Chances of death by tree branch attack are way down: 200 hazardous trees were removed
· Chances of having a place to pee indoors are way up: most of the rest rooms that were closed due to lack of funds are now open
· Chance of flowing fountain is 50% over any 24 hour period: The Scott Fountain is flowing 12 hours a day (at least until Labor Day)
· Chance of arrest for speeding is a lot: Michigan State Police have a much more visible presence and have made more than 1,000 traffic stops since the February 10 takeover
Since the city only used to guess at the number of visitors, we don't have a clear idea on if the numbers are up or down since state management began. The Freep chooses to go with several surmises that attendance is down, which has not been apparent to this blog staff on several recent weekend trips to the park. The state has 29 years and 6 months to go on its lease of the park, which is estimated to save the city of Detroit $4-6M a year in operating costs.
· 6 months into state control, how has Detroit's Belle Isle Park changed? [Freep]
· The Scott Fountain is Back: Belle Isle Monument Flows Again this Summer [Curbed Detroit]
· No Toilet Left Behind: DNR Focused on Belle Isle's Bathrooms [Curbed Detroit]
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