The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Detroit’s Belle Isle is reopening to the public following $2.5 million renovation project.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the first phase of structural repairs has been completed and it’s officially reopening Wednesday.
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The DNR says water damage had compromised the original 1904 steel trusses in the lower dome that supported the conservatory’s 85-foot (26-meter) upper Palm House dome. Those have been replaced with galvanized steel.
The work was funded by $1.5 million from DNR Parks and Recreation funds and a $1 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Grant.
Construction was scheduled to be completed in July , but was finished early. Additional funds are being sought for renovation to the upper portion of the dome.