RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond’s Holly Street Playground will soon get a $400,000 upgrade thanks to the efforts of community members and a new nonprofit.
Construction of a new children’s play area and updated bathrooms in the Oregon Hill park will begin mid-June, according to Fans of Oregon Hill Parks (FOOHP).
The group traces its origins back to 2022 when Harrison Moenich secured the funds from City Councilperson Stephanie Lynch for an overhaul of the outdated and dilapidated green space.
“I've lived in Oregon Hill for a long time, and I've seen the quality of the parks deteriorating over time,” Moenich said. “As it stands, [Holly Street Playground] has one entrance and exit and it is not super ADA compliant, which is a big priority of ours is to make sure that people of all levels of accessibility have access here.”
Moenich and FOOHP Chair Phaedra Hise also announced Wednesday the group has formed as a nonprofit under the umbrella of Verdant Richmond which provides management to 15 other Richmond city parks and community garden organizations.
“Forming an independent nonprofit is a lot of work, and it's expensive, and Verdant Richmond already exists. We’ve worked with them closely to improve Pleasants Park,” Hise said. “When they extended this invitation to us to join them, we were super excited for that opportunity, because we basically don't have the resources to build our own nonprofit at this point.”
Verdant Richmond was formed in 2017 after “routine budget shortfalls require the city to postpone or altogether forego routine maintenance in order to focus limited funding on more urgent priorities such as public schools, policing, and repairing an aging infrastructure.”
Working closely with the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department, the Department of Public Works, and Richmond Grows Gardens, FOOHP’s board will manage park cleanups, beautification efforts, and improvement projects.
City parks within Oregon Hill boundaries include Holly Street Playground, Oregon Hill Linear Park, Robert Pleasants Park, Riverside Park, the Oregon Hill Community Garden, and park space at the Idlewood rotary.
FOOHP’s board includes neighborhood residents and representatives from area organizations including Open High School, Pine Street Baptist Church, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association, and the Overlook Condominium Homeowners Association.
“I think that we have a lot of motivation to move forward, and I think that we're really excited about our collaborations and potential opportunities ahead,” Moenich said.
The Holly Street Playground master plan includes additional trees, shade space for the children’s play area, updating the basketball court, skate area, and splash pad.
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