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Work to renovate Richmond’s historic Monroe Park could begin as early as November after a conservancy group announced Wednesday that it had reached its $3 million fundraising goal for the project.

“Many of us have labored for more than a decade to launch the renovation of Richmond’s oldest park,” said Alice Massie, president of the Monroe Park Conservancy. “I’m grateful to the mayor, VCU and the many generous Richmonders who have brought us to this moment. It’s exciting to know that the work can now begin.”

The privately raised money will go toward surface-level improvements: replacing the asphalt walkways with crushed stone paths, leveling off the park by raising the paths to the same elevation as the grass, installing better lighting, adding wireless internet service, and converting the Checkers House to a café with new bathrooms.

The city has set aside an additional $3 million to make infrastructure and utility upgrades below the 8-acre park, which lies in the heart of the city near Virginia Commonwealth University’s academic campus.

The work is expected to close the park — established in 1851 — for at least a year, with construction expected to last 12 to 18 months.