RICHMOND, Va. — In Richmond’s Scott’s Addition booming neighborhood where multi-million dollar apartment projects spring up nearly every month, Christie and Kevin Barry are working to preserve .43 acres of land for much-needed greenspace.
After two and half years on the market, the owners of Christie’s Fine Gardening & Creative Landscapes have signed a letter of intent to part-gift, part-sell 3420 Norfolk Street to the Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) with hopes of turning the property into a potential park.
The recently retired couple decided to preserve the space for the benefit of the neighborhood after a contract for their property about a block from Brambly Park fell through.
"I’m ready to move on. Let's turn it over to somebody else that can make something of it. And the land conservancy is going to create a real beautiful little spot, and we're happy about that,” Kevin said.
The Barrys purchased the prime real estate at Norfolk and Belleville Streets in 2012 for $241,000. It was recently assessed at $1,777,000.
CRLC Executive Director Parker Agelasto said what has not kept pace with the growth of Scott’s Addition is its green space. Studies show a direct correlation between urban vegetation and the temperature of neighborhoods across the city with Scott’s Addition being one of the Richmond’s hottest areas.
"The Barrys understand the healing benefits that access to outdoor green spaces have for us all and have devoted their work and now their land to providing these benefits to the community,” Agelasto said. “The addition of this half-acre, though small, is an important step in helping address the void of green space.”
The conservancy intends to pay $600,000 for the property and the Barrys will donate the balance of the value of their property.
“We’ve always been a green space kind of company. It just makes sense. We don’t need to be rich and we won’t be, but this will take us into retirement,” Kevin Barry said.
The nonprofit will then work with the Greater Scott’s Addition Association (GSAA) and the city to restrict future development there and designate the site for the perpetual preservation of open space.
“We are excited to engage with the Capital Region Land Conservancy to co-develop the long-term plan and vision for this public green space, which aligns with the Greater Scott’s Addition Small Area Plan of Richmond 300,” said Jeremy Hoffman, GSAA president.
CRLC has committed $250,000 so far, but the nonprofit will need to raise additional funds and receive their board’s approval before closing on the property later this year.
The Barrys have long thought about the need of green space for their 3,000 Scott's Addition neighbors. The couple dug up their parking lot and created Christie’s Greenspace for a dog park about a decade ago.
"Whenever I come in here to clean up or do anything there's somebody here and they always say, ‘Hey, thank you so much. We appreciate it,’” Kevin said.
Nissa Richardson, deputy director of Richmond's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, said this acquisition is a meaningful step toward meeting Richmond INSPIRE goals to ensure more Richmonders are within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Second District Council Member Katherine Jordan said COVID highlighted the vital importance of parks and called the sale a “huge win for the neighborhood.”
Part of the long-range plan for Greater Scott’s Addition, according to the Richmond 300 comprehensive plan, calls for the creation of neighborhood parks, or “small node[s] of public space in which neighborhood activities are centered.”
The project comes as a linear park is planned near CarMax Park in the nearby Diamond District and would add to three other green spaces GSAA has helped established since 2018.
Groundwork RVA planted about 30 trees in the neighborhood a couple of weeks ago. GSAA elected, as part of the participatory budgeting process, to plant nearly 80 trees this year.
CRLC is asking interested donors to contribute to a restricted fund dedicated to the acquisition of the property and securing greenspace in Scott’s Addition.
Since 2005, the nonprofit has provided leadership in the protection of more than 16,000 acres, including easements on more than 5,000 acres in Richmond and 19 Virginia counties.
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