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May 12, 2025
Celebrating its 100th anniversary this month, the James Scott Memorial Fountain in Detroit's Belle Isle Park soon will undergo $6 million in renovations, ensuring its beauty and functionality for the next century.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will start the approximately 18-month project this summer, 100 years after the fountain first delighted visitors in 1925.
To ensure public safety throughout the project, the fountain plaza, adjacent sidewalk and Fountain Drive will close to the public through 2026. Construction fencing will be erected by Friday, May 16, and the fountain will run again in May 2027.
To ensure the basin's structural integrity and protect the underlying mechanical room, the renovation project will involve installing new concrete beams and replacing the underlying fountain plumbing. Additionally, a watertight seal and marble elements around the lower bowl will help prevent water infiltration to subgrade operational space.
The funds are part of a $273 million boost in federal American Rescue Plan relief funding that has enabled the DNR to tackle a decades-long backlog of infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in state parks and trails. The funding, secured through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and aligned with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Building Michigan Together Plan, also will support the construction of a new state park in Flint in Genesee County.
"This investment, made possible by American Rescue Plan funds, will ensure the long-term preservation of an iconic feature in Belle Isle Park," said Ron Olson, DNR Parks and Recreation chief.
"Two years ago, results of the concrete core samples taken from the lower bowl showed the basin structure needed to be addressed," said Thomas Bissett, urban district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. "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 James Scott Memorial Fountain was designed by architect Cass Gilbert, whose notable work also includes the Detroit Public Library and the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. The fountain was named for James Scott, a controversial figure in Detroit's history, who left the city funds to erect a monument for its people, with the specific condition that it include a life-size statue of himself.
To learn about the status of ARPA-funded projects and to view an interactive map identifying proposed project locations and status of those projects, visit Michigan.gov/StateParksProgress.
For more information, contact Thomas Bissett at 313-264-6368 orBissettT@Michigan.gov.
Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.
