Virginia State University is donating $15,000 worth of trees to Petersburg's Farmer Street Park, located at 1200 Farmer St., according to an announcement made at the city council meeting on Tuesday.

"We're here today to accept this really significant donation of trees between one-and-a-half to three inches in size," a city staff member said at the city council meeting. "So this looks like a great planting from the start."

The Petersburg City Council voted unanimously to accept the donation from VSU.

The tree planting comes after recent renovations to the park that began in the spring and wrapped up in the fall. These renovations included a fully reconstructed basketball, pickleball and tennis court, as well as brand-new fencing, poles, basketball goals and freshly painted court lines.

The city will begin planting the trees in the park Thursday through Saturday, and is looking for volunteers to help plant them. Planting starts at 8 a.m. and ends at approximately 11 a.m. Tools and light refreshments will be provided. Holes will be dug, but city staff will need help from volunteers to further prep the holes for the trees and plant, mulch and water the trees.

The park will remain open during this time, but residents and visitors to the park should exercise caution as there will be open excavations for the tree planting. There will also be planting equipment at various locations throughout the park where caution should be exercised.

Public Works will also have a contractor on-site removing dead trees from the park. The contractor will have these locations blocked off from public access while the tree removal operation is occurring.

Questions? Contact the Petersburg Department of Planning & Community Development at [email protected].