The city of Richmond will partner with nonprofit marketing firm Venture Richmond to plant trees, install bathrooms and beautify Brown’s Island, Mayor Levar Stoney announced Tuesday. The plan, which will cost up to $30 million, is designed to make one of downtown Richmond’s biggest attractions better for locals and visitors.
The announcement comes as real estate analytics company CoStar continues building a nearby office tower and construction continues on an outdoor amphitheater, both of which will bring more people to the banks of the James River.
“The riverfront is going to be a different place in a few years,” said Lisa Sims, CEO of Venture Richmond.
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About 1 million people visit the manmade island each year, which is bound by the James and the Haxall Canal. Large events such as the Folk Festival and Riverrock are large draws, and locals enjoy its paths, green space and proximity to the water.
Details of the project are undetermined. Venture Richmond released concept images drawn by local architect 3North, but Lisa Sims, Venture Richmond’s CEO, said the images are just suggestions, not formal concept designs.
Brown’s Island is somewhat underwhelming to visitors, Sims said, and the project calls for play areas for kids and opportunities for greater activity.
Throughout the island, planners want to add trees to provide more shade. Near the canal, they want to add more art, colorful seating and lighting and an elevated platform that could be used as an outdoor classroom and a VIP area for concerts.
At the T. Tyler Potterfield Bridge, they want to widen the entrance and make it more prominent. The walking bridge, which crosses the James and connects Manchester to Brown’s Island, attracts 600,000 pedestrians each year.
On the south side of the island, they want to terrace the island’s edge down to the river, improving visibility and access. Currently, a fence blocks a steep drop off to the water and is covered by trees and brush.
The eastern edge of the island, covered by the Manchester Bridge, is often a storage area or backstage area. But planners want to make it more accessible, beautiful and usable with retrofitted shipping containers to form buildings that could be used in a number of ways, including event space, office space, restrooms and storage. Planners also want access to drinkable water on the island.
Venture Richmond and the city haven’t decided if they’ll do the work in stages or all at once. If it’s done all at once, the work would take nine months to a year and probably would require closing the island during that time, Sims said.
While the general work has already been approved by the city’s urban design committee and planning commission, the specific projects will need to be approved by City Council. Richmond’s elected leaders already adopted the Richmond riverfront plan in 2012, which made recommendations for transforming the island into a destination for recreation, for experiencing the beauty of the river and for enjoying concerts and cultural events.
Sims said she’d like to see construction begin by 2026.
To fund the project, the city has agreed to contribute $10 million from its capital improvement plan. Venture Richmond plans to raise $10 to $15 million, after which the city will contribute an additional $5 million, resulting in an expected cost of $25 million to $30 million.
Across Richmond, city officials are working to improve 28 acres around the James River, including purchasing Mayo Island, adding a park at Dock Street and building the amphitheater.
The James River Park System is the city’s Central Park, Stoney said, and Brown’s Island is the centerpiece of downtown. Visitors and employees use it every day, and the city should make it a go-to spot.