Shaia said he thinks the land is best suited for development. He noted that the city has “many, many acres of parks” already, including Belle Isle just upriver. He said one option could be to develop part of the land and create a park on another.

Most of Mayo Island is below the 100-year flood line, which makes zoning changes, especially for potential residential development, difficult from a regulatory standpoint.

The riverfront plan also notes that the floodwalls on both banks of the river are likely to make any future flooding on Mayo Island worse, as water would be kept off the north and south banks and pushed into the middle of the river.

Commercial development, according to the plan, would require building a secondary access route to the island that is higher than the current bridge and above the line of the 100-year floodplain. The island is not connected to the city’s sewer system.

Residential developments would likely require a second access bridge that is above the level of the floodplain. Other proposals may or may not need a new bridge.