Mayo Island, surrounded by the James River
Decayed, closed off and half-forgotten under one of Richmond’s most dilapidated bridges, Mayo Island has waited decades for the kind of rehabilitation that city leaders are now discussing.
“This time next year, the whole island will be cleared of asphalt and the structures. Roughly 14 acres will be seeded with new plants,” says Tyler Silvestro, a partner with the landscape firm Marvel, which has an office in the city. “You are going to start to see those plants emerge. … By the fall of 2026, you are going to see the first-year cycle of perennial meadow on Mayo Island.”
After it bought the island’s 15 acres under a conservation easement in 2024, the city hired Marvel to work on the reimagining of Belle Isle, the development of the new Dock Street Park and Mayo Island. On March 5, the city and Marvel hosted an open house to gather more public feedback on the Mayo plan, though Silvestro says the three projects should be viewed holistically.
Councilmember Ellen Robertson stands next to a conceptual rendering of Mayo Island Park at a March 5 open house.
“Mayo really has not had an ethos,” Silvestro says. The island was used by Reynolds Metal Company, an aluminum foil manufacturer, in the early 20th century. “It was everything from a music venue, a baseball field and a boat club,” he adds.
“Our primary focus is recreation and access to the river, and that’s what we are hearing from the public. We want to connect people to the river via trails,” says Nissa Richardson, deputy director of Richmond’s Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. She also wants to put the island on a map that connects it to the Richmond Slave Trail and the Virginia Capital Trail.
The city will receive multiple grants totaling $9 million from the Virginia Department of Recreation and Conservation conditioned on the restoration of the island by October 2026. The completed park will take longer. “We are not going to start with all the playgrounds, and all of the pavilions and restrooms,” Silvestro says. Instead, the new plants will “tease out some of the heavy metals and toxins.”
The future of the 112-year-old Mayo Bridge adds an element of unpredictability. The present bridge is structurally unsound, but its replacement will cost about $195 million, according to VPM News. The project is seeking $25 million in federal funding, with the rest of the money earmarked from state and local programs.
During the public meeting in March, attendees appeared keen on the idea of seeing a natural environment restored to Mayo Island involving trails and kayaking opportunities.
“I wish it would come faster. The No. 1 thing is accessibility with the bridge. When we ride our bikes across it, we take our lives in our hands. Hopefully, we’ll get a nice bridge and this beautiful park,” says Steve Marzolf of Swansboro. “The biggest thing is to make sure we preserve the natural environment. Anything will be an improvement.”
