$1 Million Splash Pad Planned For Belle Isle Beach

DETROIT (WWJ) - More big improvements are on the way on Detroit's Belle Isle — and you could have a hand in the design.

Plans are to level the old water slide near the Belle Isle beach and build a new $1 million splash pad, as part of a larger beachfront revitalization project. The water slide was last used in 2013 before it was shut down amid the city's financial crisis.

The Belle Isle Conservancy has already raised $200,000 towards planning and development, according to a report by the Detroit News.

Now the group will host a pair of "interactive community workshops" to allow the public to weigh in on what the splash pad will look like. Kids are welcome, too.

"The goal of the project is to provide a low maintenance, environmentally friendly community amenity that is accessible to all," an event flyer reads, and to "provide recreational opportunities for park goers of all ages and abilities."

The public input sessions will he held this Tuesday, July 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Flynn Pavilion and next Tuesday ,July 25, at the Belle Isle Nature Center, also from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Food will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Conservancy will be working together with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the City of Detroit on the project.

Belle Isle became a state park in 2014 under a 30-year lease agreement with Detroit, which had struggled for years to come up with money to maintain and improve the park.

No timetable yet has been set for splash pad construction.