Mayo Island officially part of James River Park System
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Governor Glenn Youngkin made a stop in the River City this afternoon to commemorate what's next for Mayo Island -- the 15-acre island off South 14th Street.
Approval from city leaders for a conservation easement has unlocked millions of dollars in state funding.
Right now the island is a sea of asphalt, but by October 2026, leaders say it will look very different. The asphalt will be ripped up and replaced with native plants and it will be a public park.
Mayo Island (Photo: City of Richmond)
"Mayo Island is officially a part of the James River Park System," Richmond mayor Danny Avula said to a clapping crowd at a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The island is primarily used for industrial and parking purposes, some saying it’s underutilized and largely inaccessible. Since the 1980s, leaders have wrestled with how to make it something for the city, ultimately purchasing the land in January of 2024 for $15 million.
"This is how we build a stronger and more vibrant community," Mayor Avula said.
In July, Richmond City Council voted for the conservation easement, making the park legally protected from any future development like housing, buildings or commercial projects.
Mayo Island (Photo: City of Richmond)
The city will use $8.5 million in state funding for the remodel.
Governor Glenn Youngkin reminisced on being a young boy playing in the James and seeing the island.
"We have a chance to support and help facilitate the permanent preservation of Mayo Island," he said. "And I was immediately drawn into this project and excited about the great lengths that so many were willing to go to in order to make this project happen."
Along with being a recreational space, this remodel will reduce runoff which reduces the risk of flooding.
"This project came together through a combination of vision, effort and funding," Governor Youngkin said. "Some of that funding will be to address the resiliency that we want this particular island to represent and to strengthen this island from a flooding risk."
There is still a small portion of the island that is privately owned. Mayor Avula said the city is in talks with the owners working on negotiations. The goal is for the city to purchase that portion as well.
