RICHMOND, Va. — A $400,000 renovation project at a Oregon Hill park is one step closer to being finalized.
The Holly Street Playground Conceptual Review Application passed Richmond’s Urban Design Committee Thursday morning, with one member abstaining.
While generally maintained and well-loved by those who live in the neighborhood, the park needs upgrades, according to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.
Phaedra Hise, co-chair of Friends of Oregon Hill Parks, worked on the project for more than a year to redevelop the 1-acre park near Hollywood Cemetery.
“The problem is it's old. You can see cracks in the blacktop. The basketball court is cracked. The fountain isn't even accessible to people anymore. The playground equipment is out of code. We had a piece of equipment break. You can see it's actually blocked off as a hazard,” Hise said.
On June 17, Hise’s group, a 40-plus member committee that works under the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association, voted unanimously to support the plans. She said it took dozens of community members who work or live near the park to decide on the plans over the last year through meetings and surveys.
“My co-chair, Harrison Moenich, recognized that the park needed some help, and they engaged with Stephanie Lynch's office and secured that $400,000 budget allocation. And that really kickstarted the whole process,” Hise stated.
A timeline has not yet been established for the start of the masonry work, court resurfacing, and planting.
More than a dozen people shared their voices at the Thursday Urban Design Committee meeting and largely supported the project. Some said they were hesitant about adding features that would attract more skateboarders and skaters, while others wanted more shaded areas.
Hise credited the pro bono work of Timmons Group and Ryan Rinn, the capital projects planner with Richmond Parks.
The project will now go to the city’s Planning Commission for further review.
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