Dear Friends of the James River Park

One of the most important roles we at FOJRP play is as an advocate of the James River Park System. We work to bring additional resources to the Park through fundraising, and by encouraging our local government to strengthen their investment in the Park. We are excited to announce that Mayor Danny Avula, and our friends at Parks and Rec, have demonstrated their commitment to the success of the James River Park System in their fiscal year 2026 budget.

The budget was released on Thursday, and it took a minute for us to sort through all of the details. For us, the highlights of the proposal are:

• Reallocation of funds to provide additional staff to the JRPS Operations team.
• Support for the Park Ranger Program in the form of four staff positions.
• Significant support for Dock Street Park.
• $16 million to fund the interim park plan for Mayo Island Park.
• $500,000 to fund the roof replacement at the Pump House.
• $100,000 in general capital maintenance funding.
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We are grateful for all of the proposed budget changes that benefit the Park. We especially appreciate the investment in additional operations staff for the Park. Not having enough staff to handle the increased acreage and demand is an issue we have been talking about for a long time. The Park will have increased in size by almost thirty acres over a five year period by the time Mayo Island Park comes online. The Park staff are going to need additional hands to manage all of that space.

Funding for the Pump House roof project is also something that caught our attention. This is a project that has been in the works for a long time. The funding from the City means that the allocated Federal funding can be spent, and there is a pretty sizable amount of private funding also invested in this project. I hope we can see real progress on that project over the next year.

$16 million for Mayo Island Park is an absolute home run. These funds will give the team working on that project the resources they need to complete demolition of the former industrial area. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create new Park space in the heart of downtown, and we are happy to see the Mayor continuing to support that project. The Interim Plan for Mayo Island Park, which will go through the City’s design approval process this spring, proposes a network of trails surrounded by pollinators that will begin to restore the island as a working habitat and recreational space.

The Park Ranger Program has always been a priority for FOJRP. We played a role in the creation of the program several years ago and identified the need for a Ranger program through the JRPS Master Plan. We have also invested significant funding into the success of this program through the purchase of the Ranger Jeep. We support the addition of four Park Ranger positions, and we hope that can happen quickly.

So what is next? This budget does have to get approval from the City Council. In the next few weeks, we will be spending some time with our City Council members to let them know that we support the proposed funding for this year. We encourage our supporters to do the same. We need to let the administration know we think they are on the right track, and that we want to see continued investment in the JRPS.

The Mayor’s commitment to the James River Park System reflects a shared vision: a vision of a city where nature and urban life coexist in harmony. Friends of the James River Park is deeply grateful for this visionary leadership and for the Mayor’s unwavering dedication to preserving and enhancing this invaluable asset. This investment is not merely a financial allocation; it is a testament to the power of community, the importance of environmental stewardship, and the enduring legacy of the James River Park System. It is an investment in the health, well-being, and future of Richmond. We look forward to working in partnership with the city to ensure these funds are used to their greatest potential.