DNR customer service center to open Monday in Detroit

Press Release

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2014

Contact: Sharon Schafer, 517-284-5958 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815


DNR customer service center to open Monday in Detroit

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that its newest customer service center (CSC) is set to open in Detroit Monday, June 30. The center will be housed in the department’s Outdoor Adventure Center in the newly renovated Globe Building. Staff and resources from the existing customer service center in Southfield, which will close, will move to the Outdoor Adventure Center site.

The new customer service center is at:

1801 Atwater St.
Detroit, MI 48207
Phone: 313-396-6890
(Note: The phone number of the Southfield CSC – 248-359-9040 – also will
be forwarded to the Detroit CSC for 90 days.)

 

Linda Walter, facility manager for the Outdoor Adventure Center, said although the site is not yet fully open to the public – final exhibits are set to be completed early in 2015 – the CSC will be ready to meet customers’ needs. Customers at the Detroit CSC will have access to DNR wildlife and fisheries biologists, parks and recreation planners, conservation law experts and marketing and outreach staff.

“This new customer service center will be staffed with a mix of knowledgeable full-time and part-time employees and volunteers who are ready to help people learn about and get involved with Michigan’s rich natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities,” Walter said.

For residents who wish to visit the CSC to purchase hunting and fishing licenses or the Recreation Passport, complimentary parking is available in a parking lot conveniently located adjacent to the building.

Sharon Schafer, chief of the DNR’s Finance and Operations Division, said the move to shift resources to Detroit was a logical one.

“Opening the customer service center in Detroit will help the DNR better serve a broader customer base throughout the entire metro Detroit region and offer ‘one-stop shopping’ to residents,” Schafer said. “This customer service center is part of a larger investment the state is making in Detroit. When you consider the natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities centered here – Milliken State Park and Harbor, the Outdoor Adventure Center, Belle Isle, the Dequindre Cut and the Detroit Riverfront – it’s easy to see why this move makes sense.”

According to Walter, the exhibits and displays planned by the DNR for the Outdoor Adventure Center – just steps from Milliken State Park along the Detroit RiverWalk – will be another draw for residents who want to visit the customer service center. Once exhibit construction is completed, visitors can enjoy a kayak simulator, an indoor waterfall, an archery range, a freshwater aquarium stocked with native Michigan species of fish, a simulated eagle’s nest, and more.

In the meantime, Walter encouraged residents to stop by the Outdoor Adventure Center on Thursdays between 5 and 7 p.m. for live music performances from student musicians and lawn games. “On Saturday afternoons, bring the whole family to enjoy interpretive natural resources programs and outdoor fun,” Walter said.

In addition, while exhibit construction continues, the Outdoor Adventure Center’s three meeting areas are available to rent for business meetings and social programs. For more information or to reserve a meeting space, call the Detroit customer service center (starting June 30) at 313-396-6890.

For locations of all DNR customer service centers, visit the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/contactdnr and click on “Outside of Lansing – DNR Service Centers.”