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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Fri Feb 1, 2013, 05:13 PM Feb 2013

Detroit to Close 50 Parks, Restrict Work in Others (to keep running Belle Isle)

By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press
DETROIT February 2, 2013 (AP)

Detroit will close nearly half of its parks and reduce maintenance and other services at dozens of others after the City Council passed on a deal with the state to operate the city's massive Belle Isle park, Mayor Dave Bing announced Friday.

Closing 50 of the city's 107 parks will allow it to keep running Belle Isle after the Detroit City Council declined to vote on Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's offer for the popular 985-acre island park in the Detroit River. The city also will reduce services at 38 other parks.

Belle Isle — the same size as about 900 football fields and about 150 acres larger than New York's Central Park — provides views of Detroit and Canada and has a maritime museum and boat marina, as well as woods and hiking and biking trails.

Snyder's proposal called for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to run Belle Isle as a state park. The state would have taken on the $6.2 million annual operating costs, freeing up money for the city to use on other parks, Bing told reporters.

MORE...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/detroit-close-50-parks-restrict-work-18380271

5 replies

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Detroit to Close 50 Parks, Restrict Work in Others (to keep running Belle Isle) (Original Post) Purveyor Feb 2013 OP

This decision makes no sense to me at all. Maybe I'm dense. virgogal Feb 2013 #1

Would giving Belle Isle to Syder have made it easier to sell it to that consortium? djean111 Feb 2013 #2

Parks and lots with no houses on them -- is there a difference in Detroit? FarCenter Feb 2013 #3

Detroit's city council is dysfunctional Windy Feb 2013 #4

They absolutely are. I don't support the emergency financial manager concept but if anyplace Purveyor Feb 2013 #5

virgogal

(10,178 posts)

1. This decision makes no sense to me at all. Maybe I'm dense.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 05:27 PM

Feb 2013

djean111

(14,255 posts)

2. Would giving Belle Isle to Syder have made it easier to sell it to that consortium?

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 05:28 PM

Feb 2013

Seems like the kind of thing Snyder would do.
Still seems weird for someone to propose setting up a commonwealth with their own laws and currency there.
It would likely have more "headquarters" set up there for tax evasion purposes than the Caymen Islands.

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)

3. Parks and lots with no houses on them -- is there a difference in Detroit?

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 05:37 PM

Feb 2013

Windy

(5,944 posts)

4. Detroit's city council is dysfunctional

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 06:02 PM

Feb 2013

I read that it was an offer to make Belle Isle a state park which would have preserved the aquarium, maritime museum, historical structures etc. I am no Snyder fan, but this was a good deal. Now Detroit will loose other parks that serve its neighborhoods and possibly result in the greater deterioration of Belle Isle. Its just ridiculous.

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)

5. They absolutely are. I don't support the emergency financial manager concept but if anyplace