The Capital Region Land Conservancy announced its latest acquisition on Tuesday, adding 13 acres of forested land in the Hioaks neighborhood on Richmond's Southside.

The move is the latest in a busy summer for the CRLC, which also has protected farmland in Varina and obtained the final piece for the upcoming Mayo Island park.

Land conservancy buys last privately owned part of Mayo Island

The city said the building is “expected to remain and play an important role in the future operation and activation of Mayo Island Park”

The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong

The Hioaks land was donated by FW Properties II, a subsidiary of Roanoke's Fralin & Waldron Inc.

The original 1975 plan prohibited development on the site, and gave the city the option to purchase the land, which it had not yet invoked.

“This gift is the culmination of over 40 years of our work to build out the Beaufont Oaks area. We are grateful of the important work that Capital Region Land Conservancy does to secure land for public access and how easy they made the process,” wrote Andy Kelderhouse, President of Fralin and Waldron, in a press release.

The park is adjacent to a pair of affordable housing developments, NOON Hioaks and NOON Hioaks II, which will bring 750 additional residents into the neighborhood.

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Richmond has signed off on 25 agreements that, if all come to fruition, will add 3,213 affordable units to the city’s housing stock.

The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong

“Expanding access to green spaces and natural areas for outdoor recreation enhance our resident’s quality of life in the 9th District. Preserving a mature forest in the neighborhood will also facilitate cleaner air and combat the effects of urban heat,” wrote City Councilor Nicole Jones (9th District).

The CRLC said the land has similar characteristics to wetlands.

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A large percentage of Richmond’s soils are comprised of a heavy clay, which is prone to compaction.

The RichmonderMax Posner

In the last six years, the CRLC said it has now obtained more than 72 aces of land inside the city for parks – about the same overall size as Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

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