by
One of the visual gems of Detroit's Belle Isle, the 100-year-old James Scott Memorial Fountain, will close for two years while it undergoes a $6 million renovation.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will start the project this summer. The improvements are expected to take 18 months.
The fountain plaza, adjacent sidewalk and Fountain Drive, will close to the public through 2026. Construction fencing will go up this Friday, and the fountain will flow again in May 2027, the DNR said.
Work will include installing new concrete beams and replacing the underlying fountain plumbing.
"Two years ago, results of the concrete core samples taken from the lower bowl showed the basin structure needed to be addressed," Thomas Bissett, urban district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, said in a statement. "Although the project will have an impact on visitors, we're grateful that ARPA dollars were available for this project to strengthen and protect fountain structure and operation for future generations."
The funds are part of a $273 million boost in federal American Rescue Plan relief funding for Michigan's state parks and trails. The funding was secured through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was signed into law during the Biden administration.
