Charlottesville, VA – The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont (the Garden) and the City of Charlottesville have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that stipulates their respective responsibilities for the design, development and maintenance of the future botanical garden. The garden, included in the City’s Master Plan for McIntire Park East, will be located on 8.5 acres of parkland nearest the intersection of Melbourne Road and the John W. Warner Parkway.

“Signing of this MOA significantly moves the garden project forward,” commented Helen Flamini, president of the the Garden Board. “Now the Board can focus on additional phases of the project that will make this beautiful botanical garden a reality for Central Virginia.”

The the Garden will be a public landscape garden that features native and site-adapted trees, shrubs and perennial flowers. It will include forest collection areas, trails, a pond and restored stream, and eventually a lawn amphitheatre, pavilion and visitor center.

Among the City’s primary responsibilities outlined in the MOA are overall administration and coordination of the garden’s construction and development. The City and the Garden will work in a collaborative effort on the design and development of the visitor center/education building. In addition, the City will build pedestrian and bicycle trails and perform basic horticultural maintenance “…subject to available funding”. The director of the Parks and Recreation Department will serve as an ex-officio member of the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont Board.

The the Garden Board has responsibility for funding the garden’s design and development, including the visitor center/education building, and securing construction documents. It also will oversee and document the horticultural and research collections, provide docent and educational programs and promote awareness of the garden, its programs and activities.

In March 2015, the Charlottesville City Council approved the overall design for McIntire Park East with its inclusion of the botanical garden. For more information about the Garden and the MOA document, visit www.piedmontgarden.org.

Read more about the City’s plans for McIntire Park East and West.