Overview
- Demolition began in early November under Michigan DNR oversight to remove long-deteriorated, hazardous structures at the former zoo on Belle Isle.
- The effort is funded with $1.6 million from the American Rescue Plan, with additional ARPA dollars supporting other Belle Isle maintenance needs, according to the DNR.
- Most of the site will be converted to restored habitat with accessible trails and new canal access shaped by public feedback.
- Plans include roughly 110 new green‑infrastructure parking spaces to improve island circulation near Kids Row, the Athletic Shelter, and picnic areas.
- Ecologists are safeguarding mature trees and wildlife while crews remove invasive species, and the DNR expects to finish the work by the end of 2025.