The Abandoned Zoo, Detroit (Photos)

OhioKimon0, Not sure if I mentioned on another thread but are you familiar with Lori Nix? Her work was feautured at the Toledo Museum a few months ago. The pictures below are all created by the artist in miniature and photographed.

http://www.lorinix.net/the_city/index.html

I guess that zoo can truly be considered a "natural habitat".

So, this is what happens when you don't vote for levys?

I saw Lori's exhibit when it came through - loved it. I've toured ruins all over, but didn't take photos as I went along. I'm changing the photo aspect of my touring now...

That being said, I don't want to super edit or 'glamorize' any shots I take. I want to capture just what is seen - and editing photos can really mess with that or discredit the work. I'm trying to keep it raw and straight to the subject.

That being said...I really need to get my camera sensor cleaned >.<

Also, Im not posting a massive photobomb on TT anymore. I'll post a sample, that way people can decide for themselves if they want to sit and download more or not.

"So, this is what happens when you don't vote for levys?"

No. This is what happens when you allow your city to be the poster child for government run amuck.

Keep in mind, the "Detroit Zoo" still exists up in Royal Oak. As part of Detroit's recent consent agreement with the state, the Michigan DNR is funding Belle Isle. It's not hard to imagine it shaping back up.

It will take a great deal of taxpayer $$ to "shape it up." Been there recently? The one time gem in the middle of the Detroit River has been allowed to deteriorate to a deplorable state.

Being from and having grown up the Downriver area of Detroit, I have many fond memories of trips to Belle Isle as a kid. Sad to see what's happened to it.

I have. I work in the area. They recently had the Grand Prix return to the location. They have a lot of bigger events, including the Detroit Marathon, which utilize the property. Parts are beautiful, parts are in disrepair. Have you been there recently? Easier said than done, but getting people to pick up their trash would be a step in the right direction!

I'm sorry, but these pictures make me angry.

How many millions/billions of dollars go through Detroit, yet simple upkeep of a supposed "nature center" is somehow impossible.

I'm sorry--I don't share your optimism, researcher. Perhaps the DNR will do "something" sometime, but its not happening now.

----------

This blog post has a pretty good history of what exactly happened to the Belle Isle Zoo. It was closed by that criminal, Kwame Kilpatrick...over the objections of just about everybody:

Detroit does still have an operating zoo. A good one, in fact, built on an island of city-owned land two miles north of the city border, within wealthy Oakland County. But for over a century the city operated a separate facility first known as the Belle Isle Zoo (which opened in 1895---the same year the European deer were introduced to the island) and then the Children's Zoo (starting in 1947).

In 2002, disgraced former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick closed the Belle Isle Children's Zoo despite opposition from the City Council, claiming the pressure of the city's $75 million budget deficit. City council overrode his veto and freed up $700,000 to reopen the zoo. In that year's November election 88 percent of Detroit voters approved a nonbinding ballot initiative to reopen it. Kilpatrick ignored both and shuttered the zoo, shipping off the animals and calling the move temporary. "We need to really figure out what we want there," Kilpatrick said. Of course the "temporary" closure became permanent. Kilpatrick used money appropriated for the reopening of the zoo to fund a "Nature Center" on the most remote and unvisited part of the 982-acre island, including $1 million for a brand new enclosure for the island's dwindling herd of 20 fallow deer.

*****Pay attention to this paragraph*****

Seven companies submitted bids to build it, and the city building authority (run by the mayor's cousin), selected a company that had never before built an animal enclosure against the bids of several experienced zoo contractors. The first act of the winning bidder was to subcontract the construction to a company owned by the former mayor's longtime best friend (and fellow convicted felon) Bobby Ferguson, a man who has benefited from an untold number of similar schemes over the years (to the tune of hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars). That is how business is done in the city of Detroit. And these are some of the results...

The Belle Isle Zoo has been closed now for over six years. Many people from this area have fond memories of visiting it as children. There were elephants here. Bears. Monkeys. Tigers. Some of the zoo's big cats were rumored to have been rescued from lives guarding Detroit crackhouses. In 1980, the zoo was completely rebuilt to adhere to more modern ideas of natural habitats with a lengthy elevated boardwalk and African-style architectural elements throughout. 22 years later it would all be left to rot.

Belle Isle was city funded and entirely run by the city. The DNR involvement is very recent and may not have taken place yet. I have more faith in the DNR than I do the government of Detroit.

You have some excellent photos, OhioKimono. I really enjoy seeing the results of your efforts.

Stop apologizing OldHomeTown. You have nothing to be sorry for. Kwame Kilpatrick is a criminal, as are his friends and associates. This is a partial result of his crimes. I expect that the residents of Detroit should be a little more careful about who they elect.

I was at this zoo last weekend. It has maybe 1 or 2 years left beyond it reaches the point of no return.

It is a shame to think that they closed this down in exchange for that nature center elsewhere on the isle...it's hardly used and pretty shabby.

If you pay attention to who is elected to the city council, I don't think you'd be as confident!

"They recently had the Grand Prix return to the location."

Didn't the Grand Prix have to be cut short because the track was in such disrepair that it was a danger? I thought I heard that on the radio.

They definitely had stoppage due to the road falling apart. That's not completely uncommon in racing, but it certainly wasn't what they needed. Surprising, given that Penske has such a strong influence.

I do work for the City of Detroit on occasion and people like Penske and a lot of the old money people in Detroit were shut out during the KK reign because apparently Detroit needed "new blood" (and crips too).

God bless him not giving up after the KK goon squad pooped on his contributions.

They did put some unique effort into cleaning the Isle up for the race...while visiting I talked to a volunteer who said that the Isle was the best it was looking in a LONG time. The garden was clean, weeded, the run down buildings had the spraypaint removed...

I did not know Belle Isle used to have a zoo. Thanks for the info, and great job with the photos OhioKim.

As a kid, Belle Isle was definitely a "destination" spot. Along with Bob-Lo Island. For those of you old enough to remember, you boarded the "Bob-Lo" boat dockside in downtown Detroit and were taken to a day of fun on Bob-Lo Island.

There also was a boat /ship called the Canadianna that I went to Boblo Island on from Toledo.That ship collided with a train bridge and was put out of commission.

Boblo Island (or "Bob-Lo" Island) was a good little amusement park. Thanks to YouTube, you can either relive being there or see what it was like when Detroit wasn't a total steaming pile of fiscal, social, and political crap.

Boblo Island 30 second TV spot
"Good photo montage of Boblo Island": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VOAhd5Jz8c through the years.
Take a ride on the Sky Streak Roller Coaster

And in the spirit of Ohio Kimono, a tour of the ruins of the amusement park.

Apparently, a marina community with condos is being developed on the island.

A history of Bois Blanc Island--a.k.a. Boblo Island on Wikipedia.

Boblo is on Canadian soil, so you can see what Canada was like when it wasn't a total steaming pile of fiscal, social, and political crap, I guess.

Oh, bang...ya got me, sheriff.

Boblo must have made their money from all those people coming in for the day from Amhersburg, Colchester, and LaSalle.

And it was because Windsor, Essex, and Kingsville all went to hell in a handbasket that Boblo went under.

I must have only seen advertising for Boblo on Channel 9/Windsor...

I guess this article entitled Bob- Lo Island: Detroit's amusement park must be rescinded. Technically, it was Ontario's amusement park...

You have spoken...it's on Canadian soil and therefore had ill no effects from Detroit turning into "a total steaming pile of fiscal, social, and political crap."

We could parry all day, but please enjoy the videos of what was once a cool little amusement park.

Hey, you're the expert that didn't know what country it was in. Don't blame me. I mean, say what you will, but at least Detroit isn't Toledo!

I didn't claim the title of "expert", but thanks for bestowing it.

@ohiokimono: Check out www.reddit.com/r/AbandonedPorn

-Don't let the p-word frighten you, it's tongue-in-cheek. All photo sets of abandoned buildings from around the world.

Thanks TJ!

One thing I want to stress...many of these photo sites have very edited and processed images. Many times they are edited using a style called hdr which creates much more rich colors, textures, and feeling than a normal photo.

I DO NOT DO THIS. This is a photo-journalistic approach. I want to capture what I see, not enhance or glamorize it.

I can create images like any of the big urban decay photographers people have mentioned..but I don't because it dos not actually represent what I see.

Maybe now, Belle Isle will be cleaned up.

Their city council has to approve the deal, though. Just like ours here in Toledo, never discount how badly they could screw this up.

Detroit News: Bing, Snyder announce 30-year lease deal for Belle Isle

Short-term upgrades would include sprucing up recreation shelters, athletic fields and restrooms, Snyder said. Public safety will be beefed up to make the island more family-friendly, he said. In the long term, there could be more opportunities for fishing, kayaking and other water activities, he said.

The tentative plan calls for Belle Isle to become a state park under which vehicles driving to the island would be charged $10 to get an annual pass good for all Michigan state parks, he said. The fees would be instituted beginning in March. Visitors entering the park via public transportation or on foot will not be charged.

The 36 city workers now assigned to the island would be redeployed to other parks throughout Detroit, which is a benefit to the city because those parks need more attention, Bing said.

"The tentative plan calls for Belle Isle to become a state park under which vehicles driving to the island would be charged $10 to get an annual pass good for all Michigan state parks, he said. The fees would be instituted beginning in March. Visitors entering the park via public transportation or on foot will not be charged."

Well, well, whaddaya know? Some out of the box thinking to restore a true treasure and help keep the riff raff from destroying it again. Can't wait for all the wailing to begin about how the "underserved" are being "disinfranchised" because they have to buy a $10 annual permit to enjoy the park. I'm sure they'll come up with another govt. handout to solve that issue.

But, you're right - Detroit city council members aren't any brighter than Toledo city council members so who knows how they'll manage to screw the pooch on this deal.

Couple thoughts: The Michigan recreation passport is a great deal. They have a lot of parks.

Maybe Boblo suffered what most other smaller parks suffered: inability to keep up with larger parks in the face of increasing insurance and maintenance costs and declining revenue. What if Kwame was a terribly corrupt Manoogian Mansion trashing crook, but didn't actually have anything to do with bell curve that was the life cycle of Boblo? Hmm.

I believe that the murder-suicide at the Chrysler plant (that the blade is not reporting) concluded near where these photos were taken.
http://www.monroenews.com/news/2012/sep/20/chrysler-factory-employee-kills-co-worker-self/

Yes, the suicide took place on Belle Isle near the zoo.

In other Belle Isle news, the aquarium just reopened a few days ago.

Told ya they'd blow the deal up:

Detroit City Council: Belle Isle lease deal too vague, no guarantee Michigan keeps promise

This same group of useless twits that has kept Belle Isle in such "great shape" all these years....in a bankrupted city.....calls the deal "insulting". What a joke. What a sad, pathetic joke of people trying to appear like important decision makers....when they through their "benign neglect" have turned a once fabulous park into a goddamn dump.

Tom Henderson from Crain's Detroit Business blog has a great article on this situation:

Belle Isle: With friends like City Council, who needs enemies?

I would say this is absolutely unbelievable - but it isn't. This is exactly what we've come to expect from these morons.

A great deal of the expense that MI taxpayers bear is to keep Detroit artificially propped up. I'd be screaming loud, hard and long if I were a MI resident.

Yes, I do know that a fair amount of ALL US taxpayer $$ end up being sunk into a once great city - not just the $$ from MI taxpayers but they probably bear the brunt more than the rest of us.

Wonder what % money is sucked into the great state of California?

Thankfully, Detroit is still a great city in many ways. The city of Toledo, Lucas County and the State of Ohio make out pretty well with the money that I earn in Michigan. With the strong suburbs, a comparably robust and diverse commercial base, and economies of scale, many Toledoans live here but drive north to make a living that they could not in the Toledo market in its current form. Several friends near Maumee and another friend in Perrysburg make that drive north every day. My firm has plenty of Toledoans, and we don't recruit for them. In fact, another will start Monday.

Michigan taxpayers would scream if they only knew how many of us there are.