SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio city council member filed a Council Consideration Request (CCR) on Tuesday to kick-start the process of renaming César E. Chávez Boulevard.
District 5 councilwoman Teri Castillo is initiating a step to distance San Antonio from Chávez’s alleged actions, which were made public less than a month ago.
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Castillo requested to rename the street back to Durango Boulevard, citing a recent city-curated survey.
“Residents made it crystal clear that it was time for a change, and I am grateful for everyone’s feedback,” Castillo said in a city news release.
Castillo and fellow council members decided on Durango based on results from an online city survey and two community listening sessions.
The city said more than 18,000 people participated in the survey from all districts. The highest participation came from residents in districts 1, 7 and 9.
Sixty-four percent of people in the survey preferred reverting the name back to Durango. Among those who current live along César E. Chávez Boulevard, 79% of respondents also preferred Durango, a city spokesperson said.
“Public spaces should reflect the community’s values and culture, and honor only upstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to San Antonio,” Castillo said in the release.
Durango Boulevard was a San Antonio staple that dated as far back as the late 1800s, according to UT San Antonio archives.
Following a heated city council debate in 2011, Durango Boulevard was renamed to César E. Chávez Boulevard, a street that stretches from the west to the east sides of San Antonio.
According to Castillo’s CCR, residents and businesses located along this street were financially responsible for costs associated with the 2011 name change.
Three weeks ago, city officials told KSAT more than 300 addresses would be affected by a name change and would cost an estimated $200,000 to complete.
In lieu of the cancelation of what would have been the 30th César E. Chávez March for Justice last month, Castillo is also requesting for city funds originally budgeted toward the march to be used for “costs associated” with the “street name change, to include street sign replacement costs.”
Council members Sukh Kaur (D1), Phyllis Viagran (D3), Edward Mungia (D4) and Ric Galvan (D6) supported Castillo’s request, according to the news release.
Other cities in the state have jump-started the process of renaming their own streets that bear César E. Chávez’s name, including Houston and Austin.
More related coverage of César E. Chávez Boulevard on KSAT: