Brown's Island's big glow-up starts this fall
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The Brown's Island Richmond knows and loves, with indoor plumbing coming soon. Image: Courtesy of Venture Richmond
Richmond is just over a year away from a new and improved Brown's Island.
Why it matters: The island will be closed for events for nearly a year, but when it reopens next fall, locals will have tons of new amenities to enjoy.
State of play: The Brown's Island improvement project has been in the works since 2018, but started moving full speed ahead earlier this year once city committees signed off on the design plans.
- Venture Richmond, which manages the city-owned park, announced last week that the island will close for events (including Friday Cheers) from mid-November 2025 until early October 2026.
- The Richmond Folk Festival and the Richmond Marathon will go on as usual this year and next, and access to portions of Brown's (and the T. Tyler Potterfield bridge) will remain open.
- Riverrock will happen on the Riverfront in May, but won't use the island. The Canal Walk will detour around Brown's.
The $30 million improvement project is a public-private partnership, with $15 million coming from the city and Venture raising the rest.
Zoom in: Much of that budget will go to infrastructure and ecosystem improvements, and locals will get loads of fun stuff, too, including:
💦 A splash pad
🌳 Shade from trees and sun sails
🚽 Multiple permanent bathroom buildings and water fountains
♿️ ADA-accessible entrances and bathrooms
😎 Terraces overlooking the river and canal
🛶 Water access into the canal for possible paddleboating or water sports
🛝 Play areas for kids, including a slide and swings
🪑 Seating, including hammocks, benches and movable chairs
🗿 Public art pieces and more lighting
Fun fact: Around 1 million people (and 8,540 dogs) visit Brown's each year, Venture told Axios last year.
- Visits have surged since the T. Pott Bridge opened in 2016, and the enhancements are meant to help accommodate the 500,000 visitors who cross the pedestrian bridge each year.
What's next: Construction is slated to begin later this year.