Detroit Grand Prix Fans, Residents Roar About Race's Future on Belle Isle

DETROIT, MI—Belle Isle is a place for peace and calm, not a roaring race cars, say some nearby residents. And, on Wednesday night, they shared their dislike of the annual Detroit Grand Prix during a public hearing hosted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The state is considering a new agreement, which would allow future grand prix and other events to take place in the state park. The current agreement expires after the 2018 race, which is slated for the weekend of June 1-3.

Among those to complain about the race was Detroit resident Sharron Solomon. According to an article in the Detroit Press Press, Solomon says she can hear the race from her home a mile and a half away from the course.

"I don't care where else you put the Grand Prix. There's many other options in the city of Detroit," she said. "But Belle Isle is a place for peace and serenity."

Meantime, race organizers and proponents of the race say it means big money for the city, in terms of travel and tourism revenue. Michael Montri, president of the Detroit Grand Prix, put that figure at $47 million.

The 2.3 mile race course utilizes the western half of the 982-acre park in the Detroit River. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Detroit Patch, and click here to find your local Michigan Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The Department of Natural Resources also is accepting written comments, which can be emailed, through Friday, Sept. 22. Following the comment period, the agency will review feedback regarding the proposed five-year agreement renewal. If the discussion moves forward and a proposed agreement is drafted, it will be made available for public review, the agency said.

The agency also will offer an additional public forum to provide an opportunity for feedback on the terms of the proposed agreement, officials said.

"Public input is a critical step in evaluating the renewal of the agreement with the Grand Prix to use Belle Isle as an event venue, and we want to ensure that everyone’s opinions and ideas are heard," said Ron Olson, chief of the Department of Parks and Recreation Division.

Image by Nick Laham / Stringer/Getty Images