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City Residents Voice Concerns Around Hosting, Set Up Of Grand Prix Race On Belle Isle

DETROIT (WWJ) - Grand Prix racing on Belle Isle takes too long to set up and tear down. That was the opinion of many Detroiters at a town hall meeting Thursday evening at a church on the city's east side.

Comm Belle Isle 2 (SDavis)Democratic Representative Stephanie Chang of Detroit hosted the meeting.

"Given all the attention on Grand Prix, you know, I think folks do want a little more transparency about what happens there and I think folks are very eager to hear what happens with strategic plan that the conservancy is working on - and so I think that is really an important opportunity ... for people to chime in," said Chang.

Concerns from residents included everything from ongoing preparation for the race to aesthetics.

"The biggest travesty in this whole Grand Prix thing is that massive concrete parking pad - you can see it from space. Even a lowly suburban shopping-mall parking lot has trees and berms and things of that nature," said one resident.

Michelle Hodges, president of the Belle Isle Conservancy answered some of the questions posed by attendees.

"So, it's a matter of getting all of these folks around the table talking about how we minimize the negative aspects of it and maximize the positives of it - I very much believe that they share that will with us," said Hodges.

Some residents complain that workers started installing bleachers on the island back in February, for the races that were held in late May. The Grand Prix contract expires in 2018, but many hope that changes will happen before that happens.

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