Title
Council Information: Staff Update on the Renaming Process of the City's March 31, 2026, Holiday and Other City Facilities - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Mayor and City Council with an update in response to the approval by Council of Item 25 at the March 25, 2026, Formal City Council Meeting to rename the holiday and facilities named for Cesar Chavez.
Report
Summary
At the aforementioned Formal City Council Meeting, Council directed staff to rename the City's March 31, 2026, holiday and any City facilities and street signs that bear the name Cesar Chavez and to provide regular updates to the Mayor and City Council.
The following actions have been taken or are underway:
- Parks and Parks Facilities: On March 26, the Phoenix Parks Board met and approved the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to begin the formal renaming process for all City Parks and parks facilities named after Cesar Chavez. Parks staff will return to the April Parks Board meeting and provide an outreach plan and timeline for recommendations on new names.
- Downtown Plaza: Upon Council action, all signage related to the Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza was removed on March 25. This included removing lettering from two areas in the plaza, removal of the plaque, and the partial coverings of three signs in the plaza. A process will be developed this year for the Council to select a new name.
- City Holiday: The City Council's action renamed the March 31, 2026, City holiday to Farmworkers Day and that was reflected in City Human Resources documentation.
- Ceremonial Street Signs: The Street Transportation Department has removed 45 Cesar Chavez ceremonial signs at 25 intersections along Baseline Road from 48th Street to 67th Avenue. The removal began on March 25 and was completed before 6 a.m. on March 26.
- Commemorative Artwork: The Office of Arts and Culture has proceeded with its review and removal or repurposing process for arts projects. In consultation with the artists, the Office has wrapped the life-size bronze sculpture of Cesar Chavez at the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Plaza in a tarp, and the plaza has temporary fencing around it making the bronze plaques and sculpture in the plaza inaccessible. Arts staff will present recommendations for all Arts projects at the April Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission (PACC) meeting. After PACC makes their final recommendation, Arts staff will present those recommendations to the City Council in May.
- Senior Center: The Human Services Department has removed references to the future Cesar Chavez Senior Center from social media and the City’s website. Working documentation related to the project has now been renamed to the Laveen Senior Center. The Mayor and City Council will officially name the Senior Center once construction is completed.
- Library: Following the Mayor and City Council’s March 25 decision to rename the Cesar Chavez Library, Library Department staff have begun working on an extensive community input plan. This will include a staff and community survey which will be open from April 13 through May 8 and provide a list of Sonoran Desert plant names to choose from. Naming Phoenix libraries after Sonoran Desert plants became a regular practice for the Phoenix Public Library in the 1960s. The selections will be submitted to the Library Advisory Board at the May meeting and then presented at a City Council Formal Meeting for a final decision.
Location
Citywide
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by City Manager Ed Zuercher and the City Manager's Office.