The RTD is reporting “an investigation involving a man found with stab wounds this afternoon near Belle Island in the James River downtown.” The wounds are described as not life-threatening; little other information is provided.

A protest is planned for Belle Isle, at the base of the pedestrian bridge, on Saturday, June 26, at noon as one of hundreds Hands Across the Sand gatherings around the country “to raise awareness about the dangers of offshore drilling and call on leaders to end our oil dependence and move America into a clean energy future”.

Virginia Outside is holding a kids mountain bike benefit day at Belle Isle on June 26th from 9-11AM:

Come out and enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding the James River while learning the basics of bike safety and riding technique. Experienced and trained staff will be on hand to teach riding basics, trail safety, and the importance of an outdoor experience. The cost is $20. All proceeds will be donated to the James River Association. Ages 6-12. Kids will be grouped based on skill level. All participants must provide their own bike and helmet.
To register, contact Tee Clarkson, tsclarkson at virginiaoutside.com or 804-687-1869.

In February, City Council considered preserving the James River Park System with a conservation easement. The conservation easement was signed into law on Friday, May 29, 2009. It is now guaranteed that about 280 acres of James River Park System, Belle Isle, and Great Shiplock Park can never be sold or developed. The easement also cannot be undone by future state and city leaders.  

Shared Air suggests that this might be the first major urban park system in the country preserved in perpetuity under a conservation easement.  [via]

The Belle Isle vehicular bridge, which was closed for repairs, reopened yesterday. The city said in a press release:

This project required crews to repair deficient welds, remove and replace bolts at various locations, repair the timber deck and grind smooth gouges on the Belle Isle vehicular bridge. Crews were able to complete the scope of work within 30 days, well in advance of the 75 days allotted for the repairs. The re-opening of this bridge once again provides a safe method of travel for emergency vehicles.

Crews will begin work on the currently closed  Belle Isle vehicular bridge. They will repair deficient welds, remove and replace bolts at various locations, and grind smooth gouges on the bridge.  The work is expected to be completed in approximately 75 days beginning Monday, March 30.

The City has announced that the Belle Isle pedestrian bridge will re-open at 8:00 a.m. Friday, March 20.  Crews have completed construction on a wood and steel scaffoldingover the bridge, providing a safe method of pedestrian travel for citizens.

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The pedestrian footbridge to Belle Isle was closed on Saturday after a 3-foot piece of cement fell onto the walkway from the Lee Bridge. While the city was hopeful it would open up later this week, the Dept. of Parks and Recreation says it will be several weeks before it opens again. During that time,  repairs will be made to the footbridge and an emergency access bridge. [via]

The pedestrian footbridge to Belle Isle was closed yesterday after a 3-foot piece of cement fell onto the walkway from the Lee Bridge. The footbridge may reopen by Tuesday. [via]

The RTD has the details on a conservation easement City Council is considering for the James River Park System.

A conservation easement would be placed on about 280 acres of parkland, including the James River Park System, Great Shiplock Park and Belle Isle, meaning the land never could be sold or developed, even with ball fields or cell-phone towers…

City Council President Kathy C. Graziano said Richmond’s riverfront parkland also warrants a guarantee of protection.  “A future council may want to sell pieces of it,” she said. An easement “protects it from that, but it also protects it as a natural park. The beauty of the park is it’s a natural oasis in the middle of the city.”

A message from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities:

Belle Isle users asked not to litter while service bridge is closed

Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities would like for individuals who use Belle Isle to be careful not to litter and to carry their own trash off the island while the park’s service bridge is closed for repair.
The vehicular service bridge located on the south side of the island was closed for repair following a safety inspection on January 12 that revealed cracks in the welded connections, which compromise the safety of the bridge.
This bridge was built in the early 1990’s primarily to provide access to the island by park maintenance and emergency vehicles. This bridge is NOT the suspension bridge used by pedestrians on the north side of the island, nor the footbridge that crosses the railroad on the south side of the island, which both remain open.
Closure of the service bridge currently eliminates vehicular access to the island and hampers the park staff’s ability to remove garbage.
Repairs to the bridge are expected to take eight to ten weeks, during which time the bridge will remain closed.

A 23-year-old woman reported to Richmond police that she was raped this morning on Belle Isle, near the former power plant on the north side of the island. [via]

The RTD is reporting 13 protestors were arrested outside of Dominion Virginia Power’s offices on Tredegar Street at around 7AM this morning. According to the RTD, “four people interlocked their arms and buried their hands in a 55-gallon drum of hardened cement and were sitting on the footbridge from Tredgar to Belle Isle. [...] A fifth person was suspended from a rope attached to that drum of cement, and he was hanging off the bridge.” They were protesting Dominion Virginia Power’s plans to build a new coal-fueled power plant in Wise County.

Michael Paul Williams offers up Belle Isle as an example of “how we might use our most precious asset to bridge the gap between Richmond’s promise and reality”. He argues that development along the river needs to be for everyone (to “eat, drink, and play”), and not a walled-off private compound.