VCU news

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones today joined representatives from the Monroe Park Conservancy, Virginia Commonwealth University and major donors to break ground on a $6 million extensive renovation of Monroe Park.

‘This park has a long history and has always served as an important hub in our city,” Jones said. “Working in partnership with the Monroe Park Conservancy group and VCU to restore the park’s luster is an opportunity that we’ve embraced with great enthusiasm. We thank all of those contributing to help us reach our goal for the park’s restoration, building on our efforts to provide beautiful open and sustainable spaces that improve Richmond communities.”

The park will be closed during renovation beginning Nov. 14, and the work is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete. The project will include extensive infrastructure upgrades to underground sewer, gas, water and electrical systems. The first five-week phase of construction will focus on arbor care. Park light poles and fixtures will be removed, stored and recycled in other parks. Park benches will be removed and saved.

When the 8-acre park reopens, it will be fully sustainable, with a goal of mitigating water runoff, and will include the installation of LED lighting and native plants.

“Monroe Park will continue to be a place that is welcoming to everyone — a green, urban living room,” said Alice Massie, president of the Monroe Park Conservancy that has led the renovation effort. 

Supporters said a revitalized Monroe Park will be a vibrant, urban oasis for nearby residents and for VCU faculty, staff and students. VCU has committed to provide maintenance of the renovated park.

Richmond is our home and Monroe Park is a major asset for our city and for our university.

“We are very excited to work with our partners from the City of Richmond, the private sector and the Monroe Park Conservancy to bring this project to fruition and ensure its success,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “Richmond is our home and Monroe Park is a major asset for our city and for our university.”

The renovation of Richmond’s oldest city park was made possible through the successful completion of a multi-year, $3 million private fundraising campaign. Altria and the Dominion Foundation each provided $500,000 in support of the project. 

“Monroe Park has been a landmark in the heart of the City of Richmond for generations,” said Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominion chairman, president and CEO. “This green space, once renovations are complete, will add to the vitality of the community, benefiting students, nearby residents, businesses and visitors to downtown. Dominion is privileged to play a role in reconstruction of this historic urban setting.” 

Also, a major gift from The Beirne Carter Foundation will support sustainability and safety improvements at the park.

Under a 30-year lease agreement that City Council approved in March 2014, the nonprofit conservancy will operate the park following the city’s completion of the renovation. The conservancy will steward the park in a partnership agreement with the city, ensuring that it remains a public park with access for all. This is a common practice nationally, including for Central Park in New York and Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. Richmond’s Maymont Park operates through a similar arrangement.

Organizations that support the homeless, including Homeward and the United Way, urge those interested in providing food or clothing to the homeless or those in need of food or clothing to call 2-1-1 for assistance while the park is closed.

Established in 1851, Monroe Park is Richmond’s oldest park and one of the capital city’s most culturally and environmentally significant open spaces. Once a state fairground and later a military encampment, the registered historic park now provides passage and respite to VCU students, as well as residents of Carver, Oregon Hill and the Fan.

Forming the western edge of the city’s downtown grid, Monroe Park is bounded by Belvidere Street to the east, Main Street to the south, and Laurel and Franklin Streets to the west and north. It is often considered the front yard of Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and the newly-renovated Altria Theater. VCU’s expansion of its Schools of Business and Engineering and nearby dormitories has significantly altered the context and use of the park. Such a shift offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform the park into a vibrant, urban oasis.

 

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