Michigan DNR is demolishing Belle Isle's water slide

Caroline Blackmon | Detroit Free Press

Belle Isle's water slide will be demolished next Monday as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans for construction of a new splash pad.

Farrow Group, a Detroit construction company, will begin tearing down the water slide at 10 a.m. on July 30. The company is doing it for free.

The demolition has been a long time coming.

The slide itself has been out of commission for at least four years, said Katy Wyerman, vice president of fund development for the Belle Isle Conservancy.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources did an inspection of the island in 2014. The officials discovered the water slide was not up to code.

"The replacement would (have been) several million dollars because a lot of the motors were blown and the infrastructure of the spot itself was not safe," said Karis Floyd, park and recreation manager at the Michigan department.

They determined the water slide would have to be replaced by something. That something became a splash pad.

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The natural resources department teamed up with the Belle Isle Conservancy to help with designing and funding, Floyd said.

The Belle Isle Conservancy has been using the money raised at its annual Polish the Jewel Legacy Luncheons to fund projects throughout Belle Isle, and this one is no different.

Wyerman said the splash pad's price tag is around $3.5 million. It hasn't been fully funded yet. She said the luncheon raises between $200,000 to $400,000 each year, so it takes several years to raise the full money.

"The splash park has a heftier price tag, so we'll also be looking for (sponsors) and partnerships to further the fundraising efforts towards the project goal," Wyerman said.

The design plan for the Belle Isle Beach Renovation has been nearly finalized by Quinn Evans Architects. The concrete slab that currently houses the water slide will be turned into a patio veranda and reconnect the beach.

"We felt that a splash pad would be very beneficial to the people that are coming to the beach that may not want to go into the river, but may still want to have the water experience," Floyd said.