Belle Isle Casino reopens after $7.3M rehab as event venue

Detroit — Belle Isle Casino, a popular venue for weddings and other special events, has reopened after a years-long, $7.3 million renovation of the historic building that first opened in 1908.

The Renaissance Revival-style building has a restored roof, an outdoor porch now meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and has a new elevator and air conditioning. Chandeliers sparkled during an event Friday to celebrate the reopening of the building, which has been closed since 2023. Organizers said renovations began in 2020.

Despite its casino name, the building was never a casino. An earlier version of the building was one of the first structures built on Belle Isle after it became a park and first opened in June 1887, according to HistoricDetroit.org.

The current casino, designed by Van Leyen & Schilling, opened in May 1908. The original building was demolished, according to HistoricDetroit.

The public has been able to apply to rent the facility since March 9, said Louise Hunt, park manager for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the state agency that manages Belle Isle.

According to the DNR website, the casino can accommodate a maximum of 200 guests. Rental fee is a minimum of $1,900 for eight hours plus a $500.00 refundable security deposit. According to the online application form, events must end by 21.00 at the latest.

“We have a number of weddings already booked for September,” Hunt said. “I think there are a few people booking the site in August, but it is filling up.”

The venue is available through the end of September as the DNR is looking for a third-party vendor to help run the casino, Hunt said. He said the request for proposals from vendors is still ongoing.

“We may or may not be open after September 30th, depending on how this comes back,” he said.

laguilar@detroitnews.com

This article was first published in The Detroit News: Detroit’s Belle Isle Casino reopens after $7.3 million rehab of venue space