DETROIT — For three days during the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, the majestic white marble fountain on the island's west end spouted and spilled streams of glistening water from the mouths of carved lions, turtles and children riding fish.

But the race is over, organizers are packing up and the valves to the James Scott Memorial fountain have cinched off the flow of water.

Roger Penske, motorsports owner and Penske Corp. Founder and CEO, has invested millions into Belle Isle for the running of the annual Grand Prix event. At least $500,000 has been invested into the fountain since 2006 to ensure it is operational on the race weekend, said Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker.

But what about the rest of the year?

Belle Isle Conservancy President Michelle Hodges told MLive Detroit the fountain may be stagnant when the Grand Prix isn't in town, but it's not been forgotten.

"To really historically restore it and get it fully functioning, it’s about a $25 to $30 million price tag," she said. "The Historic Preservation Committee is actively working on the fountain; it's their top priority.

"We'll do the assessment, figure out exactly what it needs... and then figure out how maybe we phase it at least to get it operational."

A fundraiser is planned this Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Pewabic Pottery, 10125 E. Jefferson, to raise money for the replacement of the Pewabic tiles that were damaged during repairs in 2011.

Tickets range from $50 to $200 and the event includes light hors d’ oeuvres, wine, strolling shopping and speaker John Gallager, a journalist and author of "Revolution Detroit: Strategies for Urban Reinvention."

The fountain was targeted by thieves who caused about $100,000 in repairs when they scavenged copper pipes from the relic in 2008 but Grand Prix organizers have worked to ensure it is operational for the races.

This past weekend attendees strolled the circular brick walkway that encompasses the ornate fountain at the tip of the island across the Detroit River from Downtown Detroit.

Tinted aqua with time and oxidation, a metal statue of James Scott, the fountain's namesake who donated his fortune to the city for the fountain's construction when he died in 1910, is perched to the east.

"For the enjoyment and for the adornment of his native city, James Scott bequeathed his fortune to be used in the construction of this fountain," are the words engraved in the back of the high-back chair seating Scott's statue.

Scott's personal legacy is besmirched by a reputation as a crude gambler and playboy. He left his fortune under the condition that a statue of himself accompany the fountain.

It cost $500,000 to build the fountain, the equivalent of $6.6 million today, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index inflation calculator.

