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CRLC receives funds to support purchase of Mayo Island

The City of Richmond has eyed the conversion of the island into public open space for nearly 40 years.

RICtoday_MayoBridge_HistoryPostcard

The Mayo Bridge, also known as the 14th Street Bridge, pictured on a postcard circa 1917.

Photo via VCU Libraries Digital Collections

It’s been the city’s dream for decades to acquire Mayo Island and turn it into a public space. Last month, the Capital Region Land Conservancy took a step forward in its plan to purchase the island when it was awarded $1.5 million from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation.

The 14.5-acre parcel on the James has been the site of a bridge connecting 14th and Hull Streets since 1788, when the Mayo family opened the first toll bridge. The current Mayo Bridge was completed in 1913, making it Richmond’s oldest highway bridge across the James.

CRLC Executive Director Parker Agelasto provided some details last week at a meeting of the Manchester Alliance civic association, according to reporting from Richmond BizSense. He praised the potential for accessible green space near the neighborhood and said CRLC has already made an initial security deposit on the island.

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