SAN ANTONIO – A proposal to change the name of César E. Chávez Boulevard in downtown San Antonio could cost the city more than $300,000, according to the City of San Antonio’s Development Services Department’s estimates.
The push to rename the street follows allegations that Chávez sexually assaulted and abused women and girls. The allegations have prompted calls to remove Chavez’s name from streets and public landmarks across the country.
The San Antonio Historic and Design Review Commission voted to recommend changing the name from César E. Chávez Boulevard back to Durango Boulevard. Commissioner Gabriel Velasquez was the only person to cast a vote against the name change.
Velasquez was part of the effort decades prior to changing the name from Durango Boulevard to César E. Chávez Boulevard.
“We worked very hard for many years, the César Chávez March for Justice organizing committee,” Velasquez said. “One of the original ambitions was to have a street named after César Chávez, as we were trying to elevate the Civil Rights Movement and the civil right causes in San Antonio.”
Velasquez said he wants the new name to reflect a Mexican American who has made significant contributions, rather than changing the name back to Durango Boulevard.
“What about Gus Garcia, what about Albert Beña,” Velasquez said.
Councilmember Teri Castillo’s office initiated the council consideration request to change the name from César E. Chávez Boulevard back to Durango Boulevard.
“With Durango, it does have a lengthy history in the City of San Antonio,” Castillo said. “When you look at the streets surrounding Durango, it’s other Mexican cities within Mexico that are there. It’s Veracruz, Chihuahua, Tampico and many other Mexican cities and states within that corridor.”
The city’s Development Services Department presented information on the potential name change to the HDRC. The department told the commission the change would affect 295 addresses and that the city has sent more than 400 notices to property owners about the potential renaming.
In addition to address updates, the city said it would need to replace street signs and highway signage, bringing the projected total cost of the change to about $305,200.
Questions remain about how the city would fund the work.
“There was funding with last year’s adopted budget for the César Chávez events,” Castillo said. “Since those events did not occur, that funding is available and ideally we would tap into that allocation of funding.”
The proposal is scheduled to be considered by the Planning Commission on June 24. The City Council is expected to make a final decision in August.
“It is a lengthy governance process, but the goal is that we are engaging community every step of the way until council takes official action of renaming César Chávez Boulevard to Durango,” Castillo said.
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