Belle Isle's Future May Include Restaurants

New dining options may be in the cards for Belle Isle State Park, if the Belle Isle Conservancy and development firms have their way. The Conservancy is working with various groups to create strategic plans for the revitalization of the park, according to The Detroit Free Press. Early outlines include restaurant options as well as hotel lodging.

Biederman Redevelopment Ventures cites user surveys that list "someplace to eat" as the highest ranked request." "Clearly, there's a need for food facilities on a 982-acre site," says Dan Biederman, the company's president. The company, which worked on New York's Bryant Park, has been hired to create the Belle Isle plan over the next six months.

Despite the strong public interest in expanding options on Belle Isle, people closed to the project estimate that the revamp would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars." It's unclear where that money would come from, though Kresge Foundation has already expressed interest in the project.

This summer, the park will feature several new concession stands including What's Up Dawg and NYC Yogurt.